Centon Series: Scattered Ashes: He Burns Inside My Light
by Les Missedyercalls
Summary: John's POV: The bite mark Randy left on my hip was slightly bruised, but I let him drink from it again anyway. I didn't get all psyched out like the night before, probably because Randy didn't have to use his fangs this time, but watching his eyes roll into the back of his head while he mixed my blood around in his mouth and swallowed it down like a fine wine was just as hot.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: This story was inspired by The Vampire Diaries (2009) and it has a sequel, titled: His Voice is in My Head. It is rated M for content, including language, graphic violence that includes a torture scene, and sexuality from a Centon/Gabriel slash and male/female perspective.

I don't claim to own any rights to WWE or its affiliates. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

1:

_Everything was pitch black. Everything except a small light in the ring. I walked down the ramp towards it, feeling strangely out of place without the usual noises like the roar of the audience and my theme music blaring through the tron speakers. _

_It was quiet. All I could hear were the sound of my sneakers squeaking against the metal ramp as I walked closer to the ring. There was no one in the ring at first, just the small light reflecting off of the white mat, but as I came closer, I could see more clearly, and Randy and Punk came into view._

_Randy had his arms folded and he was watching me with a concerned expression, warning me not to come closer. I stopped and looked over at Punk. He was much darker and more ominous looking. Punk reached out to me and his fingernails looked long and pointed like claws. He smiled, revealing two fangs in place of his canine teeth. I stared at his fangs, and they made me feel sick inside. My head started spinning, and I blinked, noticing that there were other wrestlers behind Randy and Punk, but they were completely in darkness, and I knew that they were not human, either. _

"_Don't be afraid, John," Randy's voice echoed through my head._

I gasped and sat up in bed. I shook my head to get the nightmare out of my thoughts, and wiped my face clean of sweat. It took me almost a minute before I could open my eyes and look around.

I was in a hotel room. The same one I was in when I fell asleep. I could see the room and I could tell myself that I was here the whole time, but a part of me felt like I was really in that dark arena, staring at Randy and Punk in the ring.

Picking up my watch on the nightstand, I checked the time. It was still the early morning hours, but I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep.

I had been having these nightmares about the wrestlers being vampires for the last three weeks. They came on without warning, and they almost always featured Randy Orton and CM Punk, but sometimes Batista was there, too, which I thought was odd, considering he had left the WWE almost a year ago, and I had never dreamed of him before.

What bothered me about the dreams was not that my friends and former rivals were appearing to me in the form of vampires, but what bothered me was how real the fear felt encountering them in the dreams. I'd never had many fears, and whenever I did, I made it a point to face them, but this kind of fear was different. It seemed warped, unreasonable and incomprehensible.

I was feeling afraid of something I couldn't quite handle.

Sighing loudly to ease my own frustrations, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I couldn't believe that these silly nightmares were actually keeping me up at night. I knew that my fellow wrestlers weren't vampires, that was obvious to me, but whatever they were representing in these dreams, it was, quite honestly, scaring the shit out of me.

* * *

"Cena? Cena, you awake?"

I opened my eyes and sat up straight. I was sitting at the table in one of the rooms backstage, and I must've dozed off at some point. I looked up to see who was talking to me, and I realized it was none other than CM Punk.

He smiled and asked, "You look like shit. The bags under your eyes are even bigger than mine."

I snorted a laugh and answered weakly, "Yeah, I've just been having trouble sleeping is all."

"I can see that. Sorry that I woke you up, then," Punk sat down at the empty chair across from me.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and replied, "It's no big deal. I shouldn't be napping right now, anyway."

Punk looked around at the other wrestlers and Divas in the room, then he leaned into me for more privacy and said quietly, "May I ask what's keeping you from a good night's sleep?"

I knew that Punk was big on the Straight Edge stuff, and judging from the look on his face, he was assuming I would say something pertaining to late night parties and clubbing, a habit that some of the other wrestlers had and I liked to be a part of when I could, but I simply smiled at him and replied, "Would you believe it's nightmares about you?"

Punk blinked and sat back with astonishment. I suddenly felt stupid for blurting it out, so I said sheepishly, "Sorry, I know it sounds really idiotic."

Shaking his head, Punk leaned back in and replied, "It doesn't sound idiotic at all. You know, I dabbled in dream interpretation while I was in high school. I kept having the same dream about a washer that ate my clothes, and I learned a lot about dream symbolism and how it affects people."

Inspired by Punk's knowledge, I explained quickly, "I've been dreaming that you and Randy and Batista are vampires, and there are some other wrestlers with you, but I can't make them out."

Punk's eyes went wide and he mentioned, "No shit, Batista? He's due to come back tomorrow night on RAW."

"He is? I didn't know that," I was legitimately surprised.

Punk went on, saying, "Besides the coincidence of Batista, I've read that vampires in dreams are usually symbolic of issues in waking life that are draining you dry. These issues are being represented by me, Randy and Batista, obviously. The wrestlers in the dark might be other issues that are related to what's bothering you, but you're not ready to face them yet, or you haven't become consciously aware of them."

I was totally immersed in his words as Punk finished with, "I'm one of your rivals on the show right now, and Randy is your best friend, and Batista is your former rival. We're probably representing what's bothering you because we're familiar to you."

"Well, what do I do to stop the dreams?" I asked curiously.

Punk looked at me knowingly and answered, "You probably work the hardest around here, John. You're the face of the company, and you have to do everything ten times more than any of the rest of us to keep the WWE on top, but that kind of work all the time can burn a man out fast."

I knew what he was getting at, and I gave him a hard look because I didn't want to hear it. He put his hands up in defeat and said, "John, I'm not saying give it up. I'm just saying that a vacation might give you some much needed rest and relaxation, and who knows? The dreams will probably stop completely."

Normally, I would've blown Punk off and not given his suggestion another thought, but just picturing the nightmares in my mind was making the fear rise up within me again, so I nodded and said, "Maybe you're right. I guess I haven't had any time off for like...years."

Punk shrugged and stood up to leave. I told him, "Thank you for your input. It helps."

"No problem, John. Make sure you stay away from reading the Twilight series on vacation, okay?" he smiled before turning to leave.

For just a second, I swore Punk had fangs.

I blinked to take another look, but he was already turned away and leaving the room.

Putting my head in my hands, I made a heavy and exhausted sigh and said to myself, "I've gotta get some sleep, or I might go Buffy on these guys."

* * *

After the house show that evening, I went back to my hotel room and got on my laptop. I fully intended to actually get some work done, but somehow my fingers 'accidentally' typed the term "vampire dream symbol" into the search engine, and two hours later, I was still totally immersed in the overwhelming amount of research on the subject of vampires and dreams.

Most of the dream dictionaries had the same meaning for vampires: conflicting feelings, anxiety and feelings of helplessness, feeling attacked, drained or overwhelmed by someone or something in waking life, negativity, struggle, exhaustion, and all that other not-so-good stuff.

Punk's words earlier were becoming more clear with each website I checked out. They all told me exactly what he did: you're overwhelmed and exhausted. You're dreaming about vampires because your waking life is draining you dry.

I don't know how many sites I had checked before I glanced at my watch again and realized it was after midnight. I rolled my eyes and told myself, "I'm being such a Yabba-Dabba bitch," finally taking Punk's words into more serious consideration as I started to close my laptop.

A word caught my eye, and I put the screen back up to take a closer look. I was on page 11 of the search results, and one of the websites on the list was titled: _VAMPIRES, LOVERS, AND DREAMS_.

I snorted and said aloud, "Lovers. Right."

I read the caption anyway, assuming it was probably some tribute site to Robert Pattinson like some of the other sites I had already looked at, but I was surprised to find a familiar phrase in the site's description:

_Vampires couple just like humans do, but the difference_

_is that vampires are heightened in all aspects of themselves,_

_including their physical, emotional, and mental levels. This _

_means that, when a vampire feels deeply for another, their bond_

_is most often seen by the source of their desires in dreams. If _

_the source is human, these dreams can appear in the form of_

_nightmares and be overwhelmingly frightening to a human,_

_because the intensity of a vampire is so much stronger. _

I don't really know why I clicked on the link. I was taken to a page made of white text and a feathered gray background that moved in a soft, flowing motion, appearing like the slow beating of angel wings. I skimmed through the text, reading whatever stood out to me the most, and I was astonished by what it said:

_True vampires are not like they are in folklore. Superstition_

_and modern franchising has almost completely altered the truth_

_about vampires themselves. The most common misconception is_

_that vampires are cold, lifeless creatures. True vampires can in fact_

_appear completely alive. They have a heartbeat, their bodies are lukewarm, _

_and any medical test that is done on them will come out with healthy results._

_The biggest difference is that the blood running through their veins is not their own,_

_But is the blood supply drunk from their victims._

_Vampires do not need to drink blood regularly to survive. They can_

_go for several weeks without blood, but most commonly, true vampires will_

_drink at least once every two weeks. They MUST drink the blood of a human._

_There is no exception to this rule. Most true vampires will obtain the blood they_

_need from people that are not missed by the general public, such as abusers,_

_murderers, and people who are already dying. _

_True vampires are not impulsive and they do not attack at the sight of_

_blood. In fact, they can perceive a large amount of blood without _

_flinching. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, and some_

_vampires are not able to fully control their thirst. _

_Vampires can completely resemble the personality they had as_

_humans, however their personality is amplified in supernatural_

_form. This means that their faults are also amplified, and to avoid_

_being discovered by the general public, true vampires are monitored_

_by group leaders, who are in turn monitored by district managers, who are_

_in turn monitored by judges. The judges are the oldest and most prominent_

_vampires, while the district managers are usually several hundred to a thousand_

_years old, and they are primarily responsible for creating more vampires. _

_Group leaders are the most commonly seen vampires in public, although we_

_would probably never know they were there. The groups they monitor appear_

_as normal as anyone else, in large part thanks to modern technology that allows_

_them to use spray tanning to hide their pale skin, as well as new fads in _

_skincare that allow them to hide the fact that they age much more slowly _

_than humans._

_Vampires are not endangered by sunlight, although they prefer dark, moist_

_environments and they don't normally stay in the sunlight for long periods of _

_time. Crosses, holy water and other religious symbolism does nothing to deter_

_a true vampire. These are superstitions birthed from the belief that vampires_

_are evil. The misconception that vampires do not appear in mirrors, photography_

_or cameras is also a belief based on the idea that they are soulless and it has no_

_basis on truth. Vampires cannot possibly be soulless and evil because they_

_are capable of love._

_Love is the strongest emotion of a true vampire next to anger. Most humans_

_are not aware of these intense emotions unless they are born of the birthmark_

_that represents their connection to the vampire world. This birthmark has no_

_specific shape, but can be found on the right inner thigh, and is deep crimson_

_in color. _

I paused when I read the last part. Swallowing hard, I looked down at my right inner thigh, where a blood red stain had marked my skin since I was born. My mom always said it looked like God had dabbed my inner thigh with a paintbrush to mark me as unique from the rest of the world. Since it was easy to hide, no one ever mentioned it and I wrestled in jeans, so it was never visible in the ring, either. I had thought little of it until now, and something inside of me told me that it wasn't just a coincidence.

I scrolled to the bottom of the page and read the last caption:

_A vampire's connection to their lover is not set in stone as it is with werewolves. _

_True vampires tend to be competitive by nature, and challenges to win_

_the lovers is common. In rare cases, a group leader my challenge a member_

_of their group, and in this case, conflicts can be extensive and usually end_

_in death. Marked humans are especially rare to vampires, and inspire_

_the most competitiveness. There is usually a single vampire that the marked_

_human is rightfully connected to, and the human will know in their heart_

_who the rightful vampire is. _

Without even thinking about it, an image of Randy instantly came into my mind. I pushed it away and searched the bottom of the page for a sign of who the website was designed by, but there was no name, no trademark, not even a copyright or a year.

"That's weird," I mentioned, glancing at my watch again and sighing with frustration as I closed my laptop to get some sleep.

* * *

More nightmares came to me as I slept. Batista was chasing me through the arena with his clawed fingernails trying to slice me to pieces. Punk was trying to reach for me with outstretched arms, his fangs fully exposed.

Fear, fear, fear.

That's all I felt until I saw Randy. He was deep inside of the arena, in some remote place that I had traveled to while still running to get away from Batista. The fear subsided and I asked Randy, "What is this?"

"What do you think it is?" he reflected my question with one of his own.

I woke up in a cold sweat again. I dressed and headed to the next arena, my mind filled with thoughts about what I had read, as well as what I had dreamed. What was Randy trying to tell me? What did it all mean? Was this vampire crap for real? And what was the whole mention of werewolves, too?

My thoughts were still racing through my head as I dressed out in the locker room. There were other wrestlers all around me, but I didn't seem to notice them. R-Truth talked to me for a while about something, but I couldn't even remember what it was. As the wrestlers drifted out of the locker room, I soon found myself alone...with Randy Orton.

"You want to ask me something, John?" he asked suddenly from halfway across the room, breaking me out of my own head.

I looked up at him and replied passively, "No."

He loudly slammed his boot against the bench to lace it up, startling me. I locked eyes with him and he asked me again, "Are you sure you don't want to say anything to me?"

It was like he knew exactly what I was thinking. I shrugged and replied, "It doesn't matter. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Randy started lacing up his boot while he waited for me to start talking.

I sighed, thinking that I was going to regret it as I asked aloud, "Are you a vampire, Randy Orton?"

He stopped lacing his boot and turned to face me. His expression seemed intense and calm at the same time. I could never read his face to know what he was thinking.

He half-smiled and asked, "Why do you think I'm a vampire?"

I tried to explain, "I've been having these dreams that you and Punk and Batista and some other wrestlers in darkness are all vampires. I talked to Punk and he said that I was just burned out..."

"You talked to Punk?" Randy interrupted me, lifting his eyebrows with surprise.

"Yeah, I did. Anyway, he told me maybe I just need a break. I went online and researched vampires in dreams because I guess I didn't want to admit to myself that I was burned out, and I found this website that talked about true vampires and how they can look and feel and live like us, but they also have this loving connection or something that involves these marked humans, and the birthmark that the site described is just like this one I have and it's in the same place and everything, and it's weird because it even talked about my dreams and how it means that a vampire might be in love with me, and I would know who it was, and I..."

I realized I was rambling and I stopped to look up at Randy again. His expression hadn't changed, and I was sure he was thinking that I had totally lost it, and he was about to laugh awkwardly like people do when they aren't sure if the crazy person is dangerous or not, and then he'll make an excuse to leave and he'll run off to find McMahon and tell him I'm suffering from delusions, probably brought upon by a concussion.

"Do you believe in vampires?" he asked calmly.

I stared at him for several seconds, then I snorted a laugh and got up so I could turn my back on him, saying angrily, "Asshole."

"What did you say?" Randy countered boldly.

I turned back to face him again and yelled, "I know what you're doing, alright? You're going to get me to admit that I believe in vampires, then you're going to start laughing and make me feel like an idiot, then you'll spend the next few months making vampire jokes to torment me until I can't stand it anymore!"

Turning away from him again, I was completely surprised when I heard Randy's voice say from right behind me, "I'm not joking with you."

I whirled around and took a quick step back. Randy was standing before me, and I glanced behind him in confusion, wondering how he had managed to make it halfway across the room so quickly without making any noticeable sound. I looked back at him and said defiantly, "I know your sense of humor and I know you're messing with me right now. Just forget that I said anything, alright?"

He just stood there, so I turned away from him again, hoping he would drop it. He didn't, but said quietly, "Ask me again, John."

"Ask you what?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Ask me if I'm a vampire," Randy said.

He was really pissing me off, and I almost didn't say it, but I was morbidly curious, so I asked once more, "Are you a vampire, Randy?"

He searched my eyes with his own for a long space of time before he answered thickly, "Yes."

Randy's tone didn't come across like his usual dry sarcasm. I knew him long enough to know that he wasn't joking.

I wasn't sure what to say next, so I asked the first question that popped into my mind, "Well, how come you didn't tell me about this sooner? I mean, we've been friends for like, ten years!"

"John," Randy started, knowing that I wasn't taking the situation seriously.

Putting my hands up in defeat, I told him, "I don't believe in vampires, alright? I don't believe _you_ are a vampire, and I want to drop this now."

"I can't," he tried to start again, but I turned to leave.

I was almost at the locker room door when Randy asked me, "Do you want proof?"

Slowly, I turned back to face him again. A part of me was excited to know what he meant, but another part of me was fearful of what I might see. I cleared my throat and answered quietly, "Yeah, I guess."

Randy cautiously made his way toward me. When he came close, I moved back until I was against the wall and he was just inches from me. He reached up with his right hand and brushed his upper lip with the ends of his fingertips to reveal the top lining of his gums, and there I could see two small holes above his canine teeth. Randy flexed his jaw, and two long, thin fangs like those of a snake projected out of the small holes and came down in front of the canine teeth, while the points of the canines themselves grew longer and sharpened.

They looked just like the fangs I saw in my dream, but I hadn't been close enough to ever realize the canines mutated as well. I studied them with my eyes for a moment, imagining that the fangs were for piercing the skin, while the canines looked like they were designed for tearing or shredding.

I reached up to touch the fangs, and Randy immediately fell back away from me, lowering his head and closing himself off to me.

"Uh...I'm sorry, I just wanted...I mean...does it bother you? Do I...bother you?" I asked.

I could only gather experience from what I had seen in the movies, where vampires usually couldn't be around humans without hearing their heartbeat or smelling their blood or whatever the hell else they sense. Randy chuckled and replied, "It's not like that, John. If I were that sensitive to human contact, I couldn't be a wrestler."

He had a massive point. I nodded and asked, "Well then, what is it?"

Randy looked away from me and said quietly, "I've just...never shown this to anyone who mattered to me before."

His words seemed cryptic, like he meant to say something more, but I couldn't tell what it was. Randy moved closer to me again and asked in a lighter tone, "Want to see something else?"

"Okay," I answered, watching him curiously.

His eyes locked with mine, and I stared at him with awe as the veins in his entire face went black, and his blue-green eyes lightened until they were almost placid. I stared so deeply into them, I could only see myself reflecting back at me.

"Wow, that's awesome," I whispered.

The black veins faded and Randy's eyes returned to normal. He smiled slightly at me and asked, "Are you alright?"

I had to blink a few times to realize where I was as I replied, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"It's a little hypnotic trick that I can do. I didn't know how to explain it to you, so I thought I'd just show it to you instead," Randy said.

"Cool. What else can you do?" I asked, suddenly extremely curious.

"We don't have time now. We need to get to the ring," Randy told me.

He started for the door like he had done nothing out of the ordinary. I moved in his way to stop him and said, "Wait a minute! Aren't we going to talk about this?"

"Later, John," Randy replied shortly, reaching for the door again.

I moved to stop him again and asked him quickly, "There's something you're not telling me. What's going on?"

Randy sighed and said, "Close your eyes, John."

"Why?" I asked, but Randy repeated more sternly, "Close your eyes."

I did as he instructed, then I waited impatiently for him to tell me to open them again.

I could sense Randy as he came close to me. I could feel his hot breath against my cheek as he pressed his lips to my ear and whispered, "_I'm_ the one who desires you, John. _I'm_ the one making you dream. I'm sorry if it hurts you."

There was a sudden burst of air, followed by the sound of fluttering like wings. I opened my eyes, but Randy was gone, somehow vanished out of the room when I was holding the only exit shut.

"Oh shit," I said to myself.


	2. Chapter 2

2:

_I was completely in darkness again, but I could hear moaning coming from somewhere in the room. I couldn't tell if they were moans of pain or moans of pleasure, but it sounded like a little of both, so I made my way towards the sound for lack of a better idea._

_The darkness seemed to move with me, like it was just a blanket over me that I could easily pull off if I wanted to, but when I reached out to touch it, the darkness expanded and I couldn't seem to hold onto it. _

_Continuing toward the moaning sounds, I was surprised when the darkness suddenly gave way and I saw Randy lying face down in a bed surrounded by red silk blankets. As I came closer, I realized he was naked and someone was underneath him, but the blankets were pulled up to his waist so I couldn't see the other person._

_I felt no concern for the situation as I walked over to the side of the bed and asked, "Randy?"_

_He ignored me and turned to one side to kiss the neck of his bed-mate. I turned to look at them, and I gasped in my dream as I saw myself lying underneath Randy with my eyes closed, and I realized I was the one who was moaning. I watched as Randy kissed from my neck down to my chest, then down my abs, then he slid underneath the red silk sheets. _

_The me in the bed arched his back and groaned loudly, and I didn't have to look under the blanket to know what Randy was doing to him._

_The me still standing began breathing fast, and I could actually feel the stimulation from watching myself getting off from the dream Randy. _

"_John," I heard someone whisper behind me._

_I turned around and Punk bore his fangs, lunging at me with the speed of a wild animal. I felt him pierce my throat, and it was a pain like being stung by a thousand wasps. _

I was up with a start, but this time, I unintentionally came from the stimulation of the dream, staining the sheets of my hotel room bed.

Gasping for breath, I wiped the sweat from my face and cursed at myself, "Shit."

I couldn't help laughing out loud at the situation. I hadn't had a wet dream for a long, long time, but here I am, spewing my seed all over a rented bed after having a nightmare about getting sucked off by Randy Orton and venomously bitten by CM Punk.

Glancing at my watch, I became frustrated when I realized I had only been asleep for a little over an hour. I knew I wouldn't fall asleep again, so I got out of bed and grabbed the stained sheets.

I remembered passing a laundry room on the 2nd floor. It wasn't actually supposed to be for guests, but it was 4 in the morning, and I really didn't want to leave the sheets as they were for some poor maid to find them. They had enough work to do without adding the release of pent up male sexual frustration to the list.

There was no one in the hallways, yet I crept my way to the 2nd floor like a kid hoarding a shitload of candy past his big brothers. It wasn't soon enough when I finally found the laundry room, and I made sure no one was inside before I took the washer furthest from the door and stashed my sheets in there.

I stared at the washer dial for a good ten minutes, trying to decide if my sheets were considered delicate, light, or regular.

"Shit, shit, shit. Come on, John Cena, you can AA a dude into the announcer's table, but you can't turn on a washer?" I scolded myself.

I was almost ready to close my eyes and point to a random setting when I heard Randy's voice ask, "What are you doing in here, John?"

Startled, I whirled around to face him. He was standing in the doorway with his arms folded, looking as well kept as if he had just woken up, showered and dressed for the day.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" I yelled at him, but he just smiled wryly and waited for me to answer the question.

I wasn't about to tell him the truth, so I shrugged and said stupidly, "I thought this was the bathroom," then I quickly tried to get past him out the door.

Randy moved aside and let me by, but as I was walking away, he asked, "Did you have a wet dream?"

I stopped and slowly turned to face him, trying desperately not to let my emotions express themselves in eight shades of red. Randy turned his head to one side and informed me, "My senses are very sharp, sometimes annoyingly so."

With a short laugh, I replied, "Guess I should've thought of that."

There was an awkward pause between us, then I confessed, "Yeah, I uh...I had another dream. Wasn't really a good dream, despite the result after waking up."

Randy slowly made his way over to me, and I felt a tightening in my chest. I hadn't quite come to terms with what he had revealed to me last evening, but I wasn't sure if my uncertainty was because I knew he was a vampire, or because he had confessed that he was attracted to me.

He stopped within a couple of feet of me and asked quietly, "Do these dreams upset you?"

I sighed heavily and answered him, "Yes, they do."

Randy bit his lower lip and looked away. I could tell that he was legitimately hurt by my answer. I added quickly, "It's not you that bothers me so much in the dreams, it's Punk and Batista and the other people in the darkness. They hurt me and I can feel it, even after I wake up."

Locking eyes with me, Randy asked with surprise, "You feel pain from the dreams?"

"Well, yeah, among other things," I trailed off, realizing I may have said too much.

Randy didn't ask me to elaborate, but he lowered his gaze, and I knew that he understood what I meant. He quickly regrouped and asked me, "The people in the darkness, you don't know who they are?"

"No," I shook my head.

Randy hesitated before he explained, "They're werewolves, John."

"What? You gotta be kidding me," I tried not to laugh.

"They are linked to us like a kind of supernatural beacon. Wolves follow vampires, and even though we don't necessarily like each other, the wolves are cunning and usually think of ways to make deals with the vampires, and in turn the vampires help them because they want what the wolves have. A lot of our communication is telepathic, which is why they sometimes show up in my dreams...and apparently, now yours," Randy explained.

I put my hands up in defeat and said, "Alright, I've had enough."

Randy became confused and I told him, "No more dreams! Stop sending them to me or telepathically using them as a beacon or whatever else you're doing! I can't take this anymore!"

Slowly shaking his head, Randy replied solemnly, "John, I can't stop. It's not just..."

"No, alright? No, I don't want to hear excuses, and I don't want to hear that you desire me or that I'm linked to you or whatever. Just stop it, alright? I have to sleep, Randy. I have to sleep or I'm going to lose my mind, if I haven't already!"

He opened his mouth to argue with me again, but I turned away from him and stormed off, calling back over my shoulder before I turned the corner, "No more!"

* * *

"John? Hey! Hey!"

I felt someone flick the back of my left ear and I woke up with a start, the sudden blaze of the sun temporarily blinding me.

I rubbed my eyes, remembering that I was on the WWE bus to the next arena to meet up with the Smackdown roster, but I couldn't recall when I fell asleep. Fortunately, it wasn't long enough to start dreaming.

"Cena, what the hell, man? You're droolin' all over the seat," Teddy DiBiase flicked my ear again.

I looked up and realized he was turned around in his seat in front of me, trying to heckle me while I slept. Randy was a few seats ahead of us, and I noticed that he had turned around to watch us as I sat up straighter and asked angrily, "What do you want, DiBiase?"

He shot me a cocky half-smile and replied simply, "Nothin'."

I sighed with frustration and sat back, muttering acidly, "Asshole."

DiBiase waited until I had settled down and closed my eyes again, then he flicked my ear even harder and asked louder, "Hey, Cena!"

I lunged at him and tried to put him in a headlock. John Morrison and Daniel Bryan looked back at us with concerned expressions, while Randy started to get up to come over and break us apart.

"Hey, you two quit it back there, or I'm gonna throw you off the bus!" Gus shouted from the driver's seat.

I instantly let go of DiBiase and we both sat back down. We knew from experience that Gus the bus driver was not kidding when he said he would throw us off. Sometimes he even did it when the bus was still moving.

"Dumbass," Teddy elbowed his seat at me.

I lifted my leg and kicked the back of his seat hard enough to lurch him forward. DiBiase probably would've retaliated, but Gus was watching us through the rear-view mirror, so he let it go, but I knew that DiBiase would get me back later.

Frustrated that I was now wide awake, I pulled my duffel bag up from the floor and shuffled through it to find my iPod.

My hand grazed over something cold, and I grabbed it and pulled it out. It looked like some butt ugly antique necklace in the shape of a gold sphere hanging from an old green chain. The necklace had an odor coming from it that wasn't really bad, but it wasn't exactly pleasant, either.

I glanced over at Randy, but he was facing forward again. I glanced at DiBiase, but he was totally ignoring me. I wondered if DiBiase had slipped the necklace into my bag as a prank and that's why he woke me up.

"Stupid-ass pranks," I muttered to myself, shoving the necklace into my pocket so I could toss it in the trash as soon as we got to the arena.

* * *

I forgot all about the necklace when we reached the arena. I was too busy trying to avoid DiBiase and get my act together before the house show started. I was actually kind of thankful it wasn't a televised event, because when I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help noticing how tired my reflection was.

As soon as I was in the locker room, I took a quick shower and tried to focus all my energy on dressing out. I was starting to feel tired again and it was getting harder and harder to keep moving. I was basically running on willpower alone, and even that was burning out.

I put my jeans back on and I felt something hard press against my hip. I reached into my pocket and felt the necklace, but I didn't dare pull it out in the middle of the locker room. I saw an opening between the roster members and slipped out of the locker room unnoticed, taking a deep breath when I was finally free in the hallway.

"Oi, Cena!" I heard Wade Barrett call from behind me.

"Damn," I muttered to myself before turning around to face him.

Barrett was flanked by Gabriel and Slater. During my run as a member of Nexus, I had gotten to know all three guys fairly well, and Gabriel had become a friend to me, but Barrett and I never did see eye-to-eye, and he seemed to enjoy throwing that fact in my face as much as possible.

Putting his arm around my shoulders, Barrett shook my entire body hello and asked, "You too busy to text us, then?"

He was referring to the messages on my cell I still hadn't replied to. So many people sent me texts on a daily basis, it was almost impossible to keep them all straight, and frankly, I didn't know what to say to the man who asked me to wash his back on live television.

"Sorry, man, it's just been so busy," I shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, I get tha', I get tha'," Barrett answered.

Gabriel took the other side of me and asked, "How have things been since we left RAW, John?"

Slater came around and leaned in to hear my answer. I told them honestly, "It hasn't been the same, I'll tell you that much."

All three of them smiled at the compliment, then Wade frowned and sniffed loudly, asking, "Do you smell tha'?"

"What?" I asked, glancing around.

"I smelled it a moment ago. It is not floral but it is not a stench," Gabriel nodded.

"What? I don't smell anything," Slater sniffed loudly several times in confusion.

I had no idea what they were talking about. I pulled out of Wade's grasp and excused myself, saying, "I've got to get to the other side and sign some autographs or McMahon is gonna kick my ass. See ya!"

Wade opened his mouth to argue with me, but I waved at him and took off.

I wandered through the hallways until I found an unlit section that appeared to be empty. I walked all the way to the end where no one would see me, then I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, closing my eyes and sighing as the last bit of my energy left me.

I had less than an hour before the show started. If I slept here, I could easily hear the theme music play and it would wake me up in time. All I could do was trust that Randy had listened to me and wouldn't send me more dreams to wake me up before the theme music did.

"John?" Randy's voice echoed in my head.

Straining to open my eyes, I looked up and saw Randy standing over me. I sighed and asked groggily, "What do you want?"

"Do you have the necklace I left in your bag?" Randy asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's in my pocket," I didn't both to pull it out to show him.

Randy squatted down to match his eyes with mine and said, "I need you to keep it with you. It'll protect you from the werewolves."

"Why do I need protection from werewolves?" I asked, barely coherent.

"Because they know that I want you, and they know that you're marked. They'll try to influence you so they can bargain with me and the other vampires to get you back," Randy explained.

"Other vampires? You mean Punk and Batista?" I asked.

"Yes...and there are others," Randy trailed off.

I closed my eyes and pleaded, "Let me sleep, Randy. I'm so tired."

"Alright. I'll keep watch so that no one tries to wake you," Randy said softly.

I heard him stand up, then I asked quietly, "Am I safe?"

"From what?" Randy countered.

"...from the dreams," I whispered.

I felt Randy's fingertips brush the side of my face, then he told me humbly, "I wish I could stop them for you, John, but I can't. I am showing you a part of my dreams, but _you_ are the one making them real; turning them into nightmares."

"I don't...understand..." I said.

"Sleep, John. Sleep," Randy whispered, and his voice led me down into a deep and dreamless slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

3:

"John? John, it's time to wake up." Randy gently shook my shoulder.

I slowly opened my eyes. I could hear the stage theme music booming in the distance. My body was like dead weight and I felt like I had only just fallen asleep.

"No, no, I'm so tired," I groaned.

"I know. I'm sorry, but we can't be late," Randy replied somberly.

Taking a deep breath to catch my next wind, I found myself struggling to get to my feet. Randy leaned into me and reached out to help me up, then he hesitated, waiting for me to ask for it first. I fell back against the wall and stated, "I never thought I'd say this, but I just can't go out there."

Randy leaned in even closer and whispered thickly, "What can I do, John?"

I stared deeply into his blue-green eyes. He inspired something spontaneous inside of me, and I moved in to match my lips with his.

The kiss was slow at first. I let go of him and pulled away to see his expression, but he followed me and locked his lips more strongly against mine, like he couldn't stand to break away.

His strength was a little too intense, so I turned my head and pulled away from him again. Randy's jaw clenched and he warned me with his gaze not to tease him again, then his expression softened and he leaned in to take hold of my lips once more.

It was better this time. He was still strong but it excited me, and my awareness of him seemed to expand as Randy lowered me to the floor and mounted himself on top.

He tasted like something familiar but I couldn't quite place it. A faint metallic taste, like...something I remembered in my childhood...like...like...licking a penny.

Yeah, a penny. I smiled a little and Randy took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth to explore me further. The metallic taste came on even stronger, and my eyes snapped open as I suddenly realized what it was.

Blood. His mouth tasted like blood.

He retracted his tongue and pulled his lips away, looking down at me with concern as he warned, "Don't be afraid, John."

_I suddenly realized that I was dreaming, and I knew that my panic would trigger the dream to become a nightmare, but I couldn't help it. I pushed Randy off of me and sat up, kicking my feet against the floor to slide away from him._

"_John!" Randy reached for me, his eyes wide._

_I turned around just in time to see a giant brown wolf lunge at me. It's teeth were sharpened and bright white and its mouth was big enough to tear off my head and swallow it whole. _

I gasped and opened my eyes. I was still in the hallway of the arena. Randy was across from me in a squatted position. He looked at me with an expression like he knew exactly what I had just dreamed, and it made me feel both frustrated and embarrassed.

"Let's go," I said, struggling to stand up.

As soon as I was on my feet, I had a massive head rush. I leaned back against the wall and held my head with my hand, feeling a migraine coming on. Randy stood up and came over to me, asking, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," I started walking, and he easily fell in-line with me.

I was determined not to let him see me vulnerable after the dream. I wondered if he had tasted me as vividly as I had tasted him, and if he had relished our kisses as much as I did before I realized what his taste was. I gave him a sideways glance and I noticed that he looked like he was ashamed. I wanted so badly to ask him why he looked like that, but I didn't dare.

* * *

My match with Wade Barrett was the last on the schedule, but I did come out a few times to inspire the crowd throughout the show. My migraine kept getting worse, but I ignored it along with my total lack of energy and I kept pushing myself for the fans, because they meant more to me than sleep.

I suddenly found myself in the ring with Wade. I couldn't remember coming down the ramp or getting into the ring itself. My energy level was completely tapped out, and I was actually surprised I was still standing.

"Come on, John," Barrett urged me to fight him.

"Oh, right," I mumbled, starting after him.

Barrett opened his mouth and his teeth were long and sharp and gleaming like the wolf in my dream. I bounced back away from him and blinked. I glanced at his teeth again, and they were normal. Barrett came after me quickly and grabbed me, pulling me into a headlock.

He leaned into me so the crowd wouldn't notice and whispered, "Wha' are you doin', Cena?"

"Sorry," I whispered back, then I broke out of his headlock and tried a counter-move.

Barrett easily got out of my counter-move and countered with a few moves of his own. He was getting the best of me faster than I could anticipate, and the crowd booed angrily, which only made me feel worse.

"Come on, John, get with it," I said aloud to myself, and Barrett narrowed his eyes at me.

He came at me and elbowed me in the face. I hit the mat and rolled out of the ring onto the floor, collapsing on the ground as the last of my second wind left me.

I literally couldn't get back up. The crowd continued booing as the referee started the count. Barrett taunted me from inside the ring, but I had nothing left to give.

An unfamiliar theme song began to play, and I was soon flanked by the members of The Corre.

The bell rang that the match was over by disqualification as The Corre started kicking me. I managed to gain enough strength to get up and try to move out of the way, and Gabriel hesitated, realizing that something was wrong, but Ezekiel Jackson stepped in to take advantage, thinking that my exhaustion was a gimmick for the audience.

I heard Randy's theme music start to play. I saw him come around me and launch himself into Jackson. Morrison, Mark Henry and Big Show rushed in just after Randy, taking on each of the remaining members of the Corre.

I struggled to get up, not wanting to let the crowd down. It took everything I had to pull myself together for a third wind, then I rolled back into the ring and went after Barrett, who was fighting with Big Show. Barrett saw me and took off out of the ring and back up the ramp. My theme music played as the rest of The Corre were chased away, and Big Show raised my hand in triumph as the crowd cheered.

As soon as we were backstage again, Randy followed me back to the locker room and stayed close to me while I dressed out of my wrestling gear, carefully put the necklace into the pocket of my fresh pair of jeans and grabbed my bag. When I was ready to leave, Randy motioned for me to follow him, and I was about to, when Kane stepped between us and asked, "Hey, Randy, I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait?" Randy asked.

"No," Kane answered shortly.

Randy glanced back at me, but I nodded that it was fine, so he walked off to the other side of the room to talk with Kane.

I left the locker room and started walking down the hallway, rubbing my forehead as my migraine continued to pound inside my skull. I managed to make it out to the parking lot at the back of the arena before I leaned against the wall and shut my eyes, feeling overwhelmed with the need to sleep.

"Oi, Cena!" Barrett's voice called out to me.

"Damn," I whispered, opening my eyes and looking up as Barrett came over to me.

"Warn me next time you don' wanna wrestle, eh?" Barrett joked sarcastically.

I laughed airily to appease him, then I replied, "Yeah, sorry, I've just got a migraine is all."

He nodded that he understood how I felt and said, "No worries, then. Get some pills an' some rest an' you'll be fine."

He turned his head to one side and added, "Ya still have tha' smell."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Tha' smell from earlier. The one I can't register," he said.

I suddenly remembered the necklace in my pocket. I heard the exit door open and I turned to look just as Randy came out and walked over to meet me. I looked back at Wade and joked, "Some chick was dry humping me earlier and she was drenched in perfume. Maybe that's what you smell."

Barrett chuckled and waved his hand at me as he turned to leave, saying, "Wha'ever, Cena."

Once Wade was out of range, Randy turned to me and asked, "What did he want?"

"He was just wondering why I botched the match tonight," I explained.

Randy pointed to a black truck in the parking lot, and we made our way towards it as he asked, "What did you tell him?"

"I said I had a migraine, which I do, so it wasn't a complete lie," I answered.

"We'll stop somewhere and I'll get you something for your migraine. You want anything to eat?" Randy offered.

"No, I just want to sleep, that's all," I said.

We were almost to the truck when I glanced behind me and saw Gabriel coming towards us. I stopped and waited for him to come close. He smiled at me and asked, "Wade and I are headed to a very nice restaurant downtown. Would you like to come, John?"

I looked back at Randy and I noticed he was visibly tense. I returned my gaze to Gabriel and shook my head, telling him honestly, "I'm beat, man. I just want to get back to the hotel and pass out for a while."

"Alright," Gabriel nodded at me, then at Randy.

He turned on his heel to leave, but he only took three steps away before he turned back and said, "Wolfsbane."

"What?" I asked.

Gabriel pointed at my pocket where the necklace was and stated, "Your smell. It is wolfsbane. It is meant to ward off werewolves."

Randy moved so fast, he was just a blur as he picked Gabriel up and slammed him against another car. As soon as I realized what was happening, I rushed over and grabbed onto Randy's shoulders to pull him off of Gabriel, shouting angrily, "Randy, stop!"

Randy ignored me, staring acidly at Gabriel as he seethed, "You tell Barrett about the charm and I'll kill you where you stand."

"Stop!" I pulled harder on Randy's shoulders, but it was like trying to pull apart a block of marble.

Gabriel put his hands up in defeat and looked at me, saying, "It is alright, John."

I let go of Randy and stepped back. Randy let go of Gabriel and turned to face me, his expression turning somber when he realized how angry I was. I yelled at him, "Why did you do that? Gabriel is my friend!"

Randy pointed at Gabriel as he stated to me, "He is NOT your friend."

I was so furious with Randy, I turned to Gabriel and said, "You know what? I am feeling hungry. Let's go."

Gabriel nodded and smiled. Randy widened his eyes at me and shouted, "John!"

"I'll see you later," I told Randy, giving him a deliberate look before I walked past him to leave with Gabriel.

As soon as I left Randy, an uneasiness began to build inside of me, but I repressed it and walked with Gabriel back to Barrett's car. I slid into the back seat and Barrett turned back to face me with a wry smile as he said, "I think you'll like our meal choice."

I was sure that Barrett meant something more by his words, but I was too exhausted to read into it. Barrett pulled out of the parking lot and I glanced out the back window, wondering if Randy were still by his truck.

The truck was there, but I couldn't see Randy at all.


	4. Chapter 4

4:

I ate at a 5-star restaurant with Barrett and Gabriel, but I couldn't tell you what I ordered or how it tasted. My migraine was pounding so hard against my skull by the time we finished that I asked as soon as we got back to the car, "Could we go back to the hotel, guys? I'm gonna pass out any second."

"No way, Cena! We have plenty more to do," Gabriel beamed back at me.

"Please, I really just want to go back," I started, but Barrett interrupted me and argued, "No remarks, Cena! One club an' we're good to go back."

He pointed his finger to emphasize his words, and I nodded weakly, knowing that I was going to lose no matter what I said. I closed my eyes and listened to Barrett and Gabriel as they argued quietly about something. I could barely hear them and soon their words sounded like nothing but gibberish.

I began to regret not going back to the hotel with Randy when I had the chance.

"_CENA!"_

"What? What?" I shot up and looked around.

Barrett and Gabriel both turned around to face me with confused expressions. I realized that the car was parked in front of the club and they already had their doors open to get out. I asked quickly, "Did one of you say my name?"

Shaking his head, Barrett told me, "No, Cena. 'ave you gone mental?"

"No, no, I thought I heard my name," I said, hurrying to get out of the car to avoid more questions.

I followed Barrett and Gabriel inside. We were given a VIP table in the corner that gave us full view of the dance floor and the other tables in the room. We were given the best drinks in the house, and I was struck with the idea that, if I got drunk enough, maybe I wouldn't dream tonight.

My migraine made it hard to focus, but I was vaguely aware that Barrett and Gabriel were not paying as much attention to me as they were to each other. Midway through my third drink, I began to get the distinct impression that they were doing something questionable under the table, but I was too out of it to react. Barrett suddenly stood up and told me, "We'll be back."

"What? Where the hell are you going? I thought you wanted me to go clubbing with you!" I argued.

Gabriel stood up more slowly and replied, "It will just be a few minutes, John. We will come back."

Shaking my head, I said, "I wanna leave."

"A few more minutes, then we will leave," Gabriel assured me.

I reluctantly nodded and Gabriel and Barrett took off, leaving me alone at the best table in the club with no one to share it with. I glanced around and saw a few ladies looking casually back at me, hoping that I would signal for them to come over, but I didn't want them.

I looked over at the dance floor. It was extremely dark at first, then a green strobe light like something out of a sci-fi film cascaded over the people before spotlighting between the rows and casting an eerie aura around the dancers. I blinked a few times and tried to focus on the dancers, but they were sent into darkness again, and it was a few seconds before the green strobe cascaded over them again, revealing a familiar face in the midst of the dancers that made me sit back with surprise.

"Randy?" I asked out loud.

The green strobe spotlighted the rows again, and an eerie aura surrounded the dancers once more. I focused more intently and I realized that Randy was standing in the crowd, but he was only in a pair of jeans and his upper body was drenched like he had been standing out in the rain. I stared at him cast in the green aura, and I involuntarily licked my lips as I wondered what his wet skin tasted like.

I looked down at the zipper of his jeans and for a moment, I wondered what certain other distinguishable parts of him tasted like.

I blinked a few times and my eyes darted around the room. I asked myself, "What the fuck? Where am I? What just happened?"

The dance floor. I remembered it and looked right at it, but there was no green strobe light, just a few dancers under a dark blue light that wasn't made of sci-fi special effects at all.

"Oh God, I'm so tired, I'm having waking dreams," I put my head in my hands and sighed deeply.

"Excuse me," a man's voice said.

I looked up and saw a dude that looked like he came out of an action film. He was taller than I was, built like Batista, but he was wearing a bright blue shirt that completely contrasted his rough appearance. He folded his arms and asked me suspiciously, "Are you John Cena?"

"No, but I get that a lot," I lied.

He snorted and shook his blond head, retorting loudly, "Naw, I think you're John Cena."

"Believe what you want, but my name's not John Cena. It's Billy," I said.

He shot me a cocky grin and asked, "Billy what?"

"Billy Idol," I got up to leave.

"Well, then, let me have your autograph, Mr. Idol!" the guy called to me as I walked away.

I found a back door and made my way outside, opting for some privacy away from the line of people trying to get into the club so I wouldn't get mauled in case someone else recognized me. I pulled out my cell phone and sent a text to both Barrett and Gabriel:

CALLED A TAXI. SEE U (A) HOTEL.

Once the message was sent, I kept my eyes on my phone as I rounded the corner, paying no attention to what or whom was in front of me.

"Hey, Cena," a familiar voice said.

I recognized it as the man from inside the club and looked up just in time for him to pepper spray me right in the eyes.

The spray burned worse than hits from a Kendo stick. I dropped my phone as I grabbed my face and fell backward onto the pavement, crying out with a mix of pain and frustration.

"How you like me now, Cena?" the guy shouted just before stomping me right in the stomach.

A full meal and three alcoholic drinks were in there. My abs contracted and I struggled to breath as my already mangled brain tried to figure out what was happening. I felt adrenaline rushing through me, killing off my migraine as well as most of the pain, but the pepper spray in my eyes made it almost impossible to see my attacker. I blinked a few times and focused on him just as he lifted his foot to stomp on my stomach again.

I braced for the impact of his foot, but something blurry came into my line of vision and I felt a rush of sudden air like the flapping of wings as the blurry thing latched onto the shoulders of my attacker and lifted him high into the air. I blinked a few more times, unsure of what I was seeing as my attacker disappeared completely, and all I could hear was the faint sound of distant screaming.

I laid back against the pavement and tried to slow my breathing. My stomach was all in knots and my eyes were almost blind, and although I was now wide awake from the adrenaline rush, I was sure I had to be dreaming somehow after what I just witnessed.

The fluttering sound came back and stopped a distance away, followed by the sound of footsteps. I swallowed hard and waited. A blurry but familiar face leaned over me and asked, "John?"

"Randy," I breathed in relief.

He got down on his knees and put his hands on my face, leaning in more closely to inspect my eyes. I told him quickly, "Some guy pepper sprayed me. It burns like hell and I can barely see."

"Don't worry," Randy said, then he promptly spit in my eyes.

"Randy, what the fuck?!" I shouted angrily, trying to wipe the spit away.

He grabbed me by the wrists and pinned my arms down, telling me sternly, "Don't touch it. Let it work."

"What are you-" I started, but then I realized what he meant.

My eyes stopped burning, and I could hear a sizzling sound as Randy's spit seemed to steam away the pepper spray in my eyes until both liquids were gone and my sight was restored to normal. I blinked a few times and stared back at Randy in stunned silence for a moment before I asked, "What the hell?"

"Witness the healing power of my spittle," Randy joked dryly with a half-smile.

I laughed airily to spare my stomach further pain, then I asked more seriously, "Would you be willing to give me a ride back to the hotel, oh Holy Spittle God?"

"Well, alright," Randy mocked disdain, but didn't move to let me up, keeping my wrists firmly held in his grip like he was enjoying restraining me.

"Randy?" I asked.

"Yeah," he answered thickly.

"Get the hell off of me or I might puke on you," I warned.

"Oh. Right, then," he said, standing up and helping me to my feet.

I held my stomach as I followed him back to his truck. He opened the door to let me inside, then I mentioned to him, "Dude, I'm grateful and all, but I still think you spitting in my eyes was really gross."

"I would have warned you, but then you would've flinched and closed your eyes," Randy replied pointedly.

We rode in silence for a while. I noticed that Randy could drive particularly fast without showing much focus for the things around him, like it was easy for him to anticipate what was coming next. I rode with him in the past and I always assumed he was just one of those natural navigators, but now I knew the reality behind his skills.

"Randy?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," he replied like he already knew what I was going to ask him.

"Did you kill that guy who pepper sprayed me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Randy's jaw clenched for a moment while he pondered his answer, then he explained morosely, "He was a very bad man, John. I saw into his mind, and I saw the things that he had done to other people, the things that he was thinking about doing to you..."

He trailed off and stared intently ahead. I paused to let his words sink in, then I asked him, "Can you see into my mind? Even when I'm dreaming?"

I already thought I knew the answer, but I wanted him to say it out loud. Randy turned to face me while still effortlessly driving and replied thickly, "Yes."

"Were you with me in the dream that I had at the arena? The one where we kissed?" I asked.

"Yes," Randy turned back to the road but lowered his gaze sheepishly.

"Did you know how I felt when I kissed you? Did you know what I was thinking when I reacted to the taste in your mouth?" I asked, dying to hear him say it.

"Yes," he said, unable to look me in the eyes.

"So when you warned me to stay calm, that was really you?" I asked.

He shook his head and stated shortly, "I shouldn't have interfered. That was wrong of me."

"I wasn't complaining. I'm glad that you did," I said.

We were silent for a moment, then I asked, "Do you always know what I'm thinking? What I'm feeling?"

"Not always. It works better when you want me to know," Randy answered.

Feeling satisfied, I didn't ask Randy anymore questions. Once we reached the hotel, I got out and asked him, "Could I stay with you?"

His stared at me with widened eyes. I added quickly, "I'm too tired and drunk to go through the check-in process."

It took Randy a moment to nod, then he led me to his hotel room, glancing at me from time to time like he was completely stunned that I was willing to stay the night with him. He let me into his room and I noticed there was only one twin sized bed. My adrenaline rush was wearing off and I was ready to pass out as I told him, "I'll just sleep on the floor."

"No fucking way. You take the bed," Randy stated boldly.

He didn't leave room to argue, so I pulled my shirt off and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to take off my shoes. I was already starting to doze when I felt Randy gently take hold of my ankles as he slowly pulled my shoes and socks off and positioned my legs so that I was resting more comfortably on the bed. He turned out the lights and turned the TV on mute, going around to the other side and taking the chair next to the bed so he could watch television while I slept.

"Would you lye down with me? Just until I fall asleep?" I opened my eyes and asked Randy quietly.

He locked eyes with me like he had wanted so badly for me to ask, but he hesitated a moment before he got up to climb into bed next to me.

I could feel an odd heat coming off of Randy's body through his clothes as he settled in next to me. I asked him softly, "Why are you so hot?"

"I work out," he joked.

"You know what I mean," I replied, closing my eyes again.

"It's just something that happens to me right after I feed," Randy said, and I could tell his words were strained, like he was waiting for me to object or tell him to get off the bed.

"How weird," I replied weakly, and I felt him snuggle in more closely to me.

I winced a little in pain and Randy asked, "What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts where the guy kicked me," I groaned.

"Can I try something that will help?" Randy asked my permission.

"Just don't spit on me again," I said, making him chuckle.

He very carefully placed his hand on my lower back and traced the muscles there with his fingertips. It didn't seem like he was applying much pressure, but the pain in my stomach began to recede until it was completely gone.

"What did you do?" I muttered, almost asleep.

"Nothing special, just a little trick I picked up during our Asian tour," Randy replied.

Randy?" I whispered.

He rested his hand on my head and whispered back, "Sleep, John, just sleep."

"Don't let me have nightmares, okay?" I pleaded.

He pressed his lips to my ear and replied thickly, "I'll protect you. _Am sa te apere_."

I wasn't sure what the last part was, but I drifted off to sleep before I could ask.


	5. Chapter 5

5:

_I was running down a long corridor. There were doors lining both sides, but I didn't dare try to open one of them._

_I could hear the voices of Barrett, Gabriel, and several others laughing from the other side of the doors. No matter how fast I ran, they were able to catch up with me, taunting me with rapid laughter like they were jackals on the hunt. _

"_John Cena, where are you?" Barrett called from somewhere in the corridor._

_Looking back, I didn't see him, but I could feel in my gut that he was close._

"_What do you want, Barrett?" I asked, but the only response he gave was another shrill laugh._

_I looked at the door to my right. I was sure the laughing was coming from just behind it. I decided I didn't want to play games anymore, so I rushed the door and threw it open, bracing myself for Barrett to tackle me from the other side._

_But it wasn't Barrett standing there. It was Randy Orton._

_I could hear the jackal laughter coming from all sides down the corridor, but Randy took my face in his hands before I could turn to see the sources. Randy leaned in closely to me and whispered sternly, "John, wake up."_

I opened my eyes and sat up in bed, feeling the effects of last night's alcohol consumption in the form of a major hangover. I grabbed my head and groaned. I heard a chuckle come from the far corner, so I looked up to see Randy shuffling through one of his overnight bags while shaking his head. I asked him sarcastically, "Do you find something funny, Mr. Orton?"

He walked over to the bedside table and picked up a glass filled with green liquid. He handed it to me and said, "Of course not. Now drink this, I promise it'll make you feel better."

Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I took the glass and asked, "What the fuck is it?"

I sniffed it but it didn't smell like anything. Randy went back to his bag while he explained, "It's just an old remedy I picked up along the way. It's nothing gross, just a few herbs and veggies and stuff."

I shrugged and downed the stuff, finding it to be surprisingly tasty. Randy watched me with a wry grin as I swallowed each mouthful carefully, analyzing the texture and the almost spicy taste. When I finished, I licked my lips and said, "Huh. Not as bad as I thought."

Randy was still staring at me, so I looked at him and asked, "What?"

With a short chuckle, Randy replied, "Sometimes you look like a little kid when you're feeling good, that's all."

"Is that a compliment?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hey, who doesn't like an adult male with boyish good looks?" Randy dryly pointed out.

I laughed and changed the subject, asking, "So, how long have I been asleep?"

"Fourteen hours," Randy answered.

"WHAT?!" I shouted with surprise.

Randy gave me a sideways glance and replied, "Don't worry about it. I talked to Vince. The others are already at the arena, and I can get us there in time."

I was slightly relieved that we weren't going to be late, but another question crossed my mind and I asked, "Were we the only ones who stayed behind?"

Randy frowned and replied shortly, "No, Barrett and Gabriel stayed, too."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"They wanted to tell you that they were sorry for not taking you back to the hotel last night," Randy said.

A rush of panic filled my chest and made my heart pound as I asked quickly, "Do they know that I was attacked?"

Randy turned to face me, but his eyes were focused intently on my chest. He was completely aware of the change in my heartbeat and his eyes sparkled like the change stimulated his senses. He still responded calmly, saying, "No. As far as they know, you took a taxi. They just don't want you to be angry with them."

"Oh," I said, my eyes transfixed on Randy's intense gaze.

He suddenly looked up to meet my eyes and blinked when he saw my expression, then he looked away quickly, like he was ashamed that he had been staring. I asked him more quietly, "Does it bother you? My heartbeat, I mean?"

"Why do you always think everything about you bothers me?" Randy retorted angrily.

I put my hands up in defeat and turned away, spotting my overnight bag in a chair against the far wall. I realized Randy must've found it and brought it in, so I went over to it to get my things. Randy made a loud sigh and explained to me, "Your heartbeat doesn't bother me. It's just...very loud in my ears, like a constant drumming, and when it changes, it affects me more strongly than other things that change about you."

"Other things?" I looked back at him and asked.

"Let's just say that my senses are powerful enough to pick up the good, the bad, and the ugly about what your body does. Chemical changes, emotional changes, physical changes, mental changes," Randy relayed.

"So that means if I fart next door, you're gonna know about it?" I asked jokingly, pulling off my t-shirt.

I didn't hear Randy laugh as I brought my shirt over my head. I looked up as I let my shirt drop to the floor and I realized with a start that Randy was right in front of me. This time, he was focused on my stomach. I looked down and saw some minor but very visible bruising in the outline of a boot on my abs. The guy from last night had left his imprint when he kicked me. Randy reached across and gently touched my stomach, asking me thickly, "Does it hurt?"

"No, it just feels kind of like a pinch," I said, instinctively putting my hand over his.

His gaze met mine as I rubbed his hand between my fingers and asked, "What?"

Randy glanced down and I followed his motion, realizing that I was rather affectionately playing with his hand over my stomach. I looked back up at him and said, "Could I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" he nodded at me.

"I know that you have feelings for me, and that's what's been creating our connection lately, but these feelings that I have, are they mine, or are they just what I feel because of the connection?" I asked.

Randy lowered his gaze and pulled his hand away from me. I added quickly, "It doesn't mean that I'm not interested, I just...I need to know that this is mine, too."

Randy was silent for several seconds. He was unable to look at me when he finally responded softly, "I can't answer you because I don't know. All I know is that, when a connection is real, the vampire and the marked one have mutual feelings for each other."

With that, he turned on his heel and went for the door, telling me just before he left, "I'll grab us something to eat. You should get dressed, we need to head out soon."

* * *

I took a shower to calm my nerves, but it didn't work to calm my feelings of guilt. I hated myself for asking Randy such a mean question, but I just had to know the truth. Now that I did, I didn't feel any better.

I wrapped a towel around my waist and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My stomach looked bad enough that I was going to have to hide it before my match tonight. I made up the idea that I would bandage it and tell the guys I bruised my ribs trying to dance at a club. It didn't matter much since it was going to be a house show and I'd heal before the next RAW.

Opening the bathroom door, I walked out to get my clothes and found Barrett leaning against the wall to my left and Gabriel sitting on the edge of the bed to my right. They both instantly focused on my stomach, but I pretended it was no big deal, passing them to get to my overnight bag as I asked with some frustration in my voice, "What do you two want?"

I wanted them to think I was kind of upset about last night. Gabriel sat up straighter and replied, "We came to apologize for ignoring you, John."

Turning back to face them both, I replied reluctantly, "Well, I accept your apology. It wasn't like I haven't taken a taxi before."

Barrett folded his arms and mentioned boldly, "It's queer you ended up in Randy Or'on's room when you go' back, innit?"

Gabriel stood up and yelled angrily at Barrett, "We are not here to argue his destination!"

Much to my surprise, Barrett instantly backed off and even seemed to cower a little in response to Gabriel. It reminded me of something I read about that same response in the animal kingdom, but I couldn't remember exactly what the significance was.

Gabriel turned back to face me and asked, "You do accept our apology, John?"

"Well, I accept yours, but not necessarily Wade's," I pointed at Barrett and gave him a hard look.

Gabriel ignored my disdain and asked, "Then we are still friends?"

I looked at him with confusion and said, "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I just do not want you to think I would ignore you again," Gabriel replied quietly.

His words sounded eerily intimate. I nodded slowly and Barrett went on the defensive again, arguing with me, "Wha's tha' look for, Cena? Gabriel is showing you respect, an' you show him the nod of a wanker?"

I opened my mouth to counter, but Wade turned his attention to the door just a moment before it suddenly burst open from being kicked in, and Randy stormed through it. Gabriel, Barrett and Randy went on the offensive, all three sizing each other up as Randy's nails went sharp and his fangs became visible. He hunched forward in attack mode and his eyes shifted from Barrett to Gabriel as he stated to them, "This is _my_ territory."

"We only came to apologize to John. Now, we are leaving," Gabriel explained, motioning for Barrett to go.

"Is that true, John?" Randy asked me, never taking his eyes off of Barrett and Gabriel.

"Ye...yes," I stammered, caught off-guard by Randy's ferocity.

Randy focused on Wade and said, "I believe I heard you call John a wanker. That doesn't sound like you were apologizing to him."

Barrett swallowed hard and Randy took a step closer to him. I quickly tried to diffuse the situation, saying, "It's no big deal, Randy, he was just messing with me."

"Apologize," Randy stated to Barrett.

Barrett paused before asking defiantly, "An' wha' if I don't?"

My heart started pounding again as I waited for the moment to break. Randy cocked his head to one side, and I knew that he was listening to the change and it was distracting him. I tried to will my body to calm down, but it was no use. I could see that Barrett had picked up on Randy's distraction as well, but he was seeing it as an opportunity to strike.

Gabriel suddenly said, "Wade, apologize to John."

Barrett turned to Gabriel with a confused expression, asking, "Wha'?"

"Apologize as Randy has instructed you," Gabriel answered.

Barrett stared at him for a few seconds before looking at me. I waited as Barrett sighed with frustration, then he said reluctantly, "I'm sorry, Cena."

"Um...thanks," I replied, still on edge.

Gabriel nodded good-bye to me and quickly started for the door, and Barrett rushed after him just as fast. Once they were gone, Randy eased up and looked at me, asking deliberately, "Did they do anything to you?"

"No, they just came to apologize," I said.

Randy came closer to me and asked rapidly, "Did they ask you anything about last night? Did they notice your stomach? Did they say anything to you about being in my room?"

"Randy, what's going on?" I became confused.

He realized his intensity and backed off, explaining more calmly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just don't trust them at all, and I don't want them knowing details about anything to do with you."

"Could I ask you a question?" I said.

Randy looked at me curiously and I asked, "Is there something about Gabriel I should know? He seems to have a handle on Barrett like nobody's business."

Nodding slowly, Randy replied, "Gabriel is the Alpha of the wolves in the RAW and Smackdown roster."

I was legitimately surprised as I said, "Oh. Well, I guess I wouldn't have picked him to be the one with all the power."

"Nobody would. That's how it's so easy for him to move through the system, but he's the strongest and the fastest of their group, and that's why I'm so worried about his extensive interest in being your best friend," Randy said.

"I thought you said that the werewolves just wanted to use me because of my connection to vampires," I mentioned.

"Yes, that's what they're usually after, but Gabriel's interest in you seems to go beyond that," Randy explained.

I remembered the way Gabriel spoke to me minutes earlier and I relayed to Randy, "Gabriel was really weird after he apologized to me. He acted like I wouldn't want to be friends with him because of last night. When I said we were cool, he spoke to me like...like..."

I struggled to come up with a good word to describe it, settling with, "Like he was flirting with me."

Randy's eyes went wide and he asked, "What?"

"I'm sorry, that's the only word I can think of. I mean, I don't know if he's gay or not, and I have no problem with it, but I don't really think of him that way..." I rambled.

Randy came within inches of me and I locked eyes with him as he asked deliberately, "John, are you absolutely sure that Gabriel was showing an attraction to you?"

I became uneasy, trying to replay the moment in my head just to be certain. I said as I thought about it, "I don't know, I mean, that's what it sounded like, and I got a weird vibe from it, and Wade like, went all ape-shit right after that."

"Shit, why didn't I notice this before," Randy whispered, almost to himself.

"What? What are you thinking?" I asked.

Randy looked at me and stated, "This just got a lot more complicated."


	6. Chapter 6

6:

As soon as we got to the arena, I felt a lot of tension in the locker room, and that could only mean one person was near: Dave Batista.

Now that I knew he was a vampire, his attitude made a lot of sense. Batista wasn't necessarily a bad guy, he was just very...particular about his lifestyle, his opinions, and what he did or did not want to do. If he didn't like you, these particulars became more obvious. Dave and I used to butt heads constantly, but when we started fighting face-to-face, it seemed like our frustrations were coming out in the ring, so we had nothing to argue about backstage. Even when Batista left, he gave me a big hug and told me, "Keep on fighting, kid. I mean it."

So when I saw him in the hallway while I was waiting for the show to start, I waved at him and said, "Hey, welcome back, Dave!"

He looked at me like I had just run over his dog.

"Excuse me, Cena?" he asked coldly.

I stopped and turned to face him, saying with some confusion, "Uh...I just wanted to welcome you back to RAW."

Batista snorted laughter. I put my hands on my hips and retorted, "Did I say something funny?"

He leaned in closer to me and answered, "Yeah, you did. Since when do you give a flying fuck about anyone else besides yourself?"

I didn't know what to say. I scoffed at him and turned to leave. Batista called to me as I walked off, "We have a match tonight, and since you know about me now, I'm not planning on taking it easy!"

I reached my arm back and flipped him off. I wasn't about to respond to his idiocy.

Rounding the corner, I found myself stalled by CM Punk.

"John Cena, how have things been?" he asked, putting his arm around my shoulders like we were old friends.

"I can't talk, Punk, I've got some things to take care of," I lied to get away from him.

He knew I was lying and held fast to my shoulders, persuading me, "It'll only take a second."

"Alright, what's the deal?" I sighed.

"I was just wondering how it's been working out between you and Randal lately," Punk acted nonchalant.

He was almost as obvious as Barrett and Gabriel. I replied easily, "It's cool, everything's cool."

"So, I guess you know about us now, so all that symbolic stuff I told you about your dreams wasn't really the truth," Punk said it like it was a minor mistake.

"Yeah, but you can trust me not to tell anyone," I added.

Punk nodded and changed the subject, asking quickly, "So what's with you and Gabriel?"

Shrugging, I replied, "Uh, we're friends, if that's what you mean."

"Right," Punk stated, locking eyes with me.

"I really need to get going," I said.

Punk blinked and made a confused expression, like he was expecting something more from me. The expression faded in an instant and he let go of my shoulders, telling me as I moved on, "If you have any trouble, just let me know, alright?"

I had no clue why he thought I would want to come to him for help. I kept walking until I found a hallway adjacent to the rest. Something told me it was safe to go down it, and as I did, I came past a doorway and I knew Randy was on the other side. I opened it slowly and peeked inside, finding Randy asleep on a reclining hospital bed in what appeared to be an old storage room. I was already fully aware that Randy took naps before each show, and I didn't want to disturb him, but I came in anyway and closed the door, searching for a chair that I could sit in and stay quiet.

"Are you following me?" Randy said without opening his eyes.

I grabbed a nearby chair and moved it to the hospital bed, straddling it backwards so I could rest my chin on its high back as I replied jokingly, "It just seems like, when I'm not with you, I'm surrounded by stupid."

Randy chuckled and opened his eyes, asking me dryly, "Do you want me to beat them up and take their lunch money?"

"No, I don't wanna risk swirlies and wedgies in the locker room after practice," I shrugged, making Randy laugh again.

"So, did you hear I have a match with Batista tonight?" I asked, taking Randy's right hand in both of mine.

I played absently with his fingers while he replied, "Yeah, I heard about that. He's all bent out of shape that you know about us so he probably won't be as easy on you as he has been in the past."

"Easy on me? The guy is like a friggin' tank!" I shouted, promoting another chuckle from Randy.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" I said after Randy had settled down again.

He watched me twine his fingers with mine as he replied quietly, "Sure."

"When and why did you decide to become a vampire?" I asked.

Randy let out a groan and said, "I was hoping you would never ask that."

"Why? Are you actually like, 80-years-old? Did I get dream kissed by an old man? Wait, I know, you did it as an alternative to medication because you have erectile dysfunction!" I made a mock shocked expression.

Randy laughed even harder this time, then he became more serious and responded, "I became a vampire just a few years ago, but I did it for the wrong reasons."

"Tell me why," I leaned in to listen intently.

Randy used his free hand to run his fingers through my buzz cut as he answered thickly, "You know what this business does to your body. An injury could mean weeks, months or years out of action. It could even mean the end of your career. A few years ago, I was worried about my future, so I asked Batista to change me."

"_Dave_ is your supernatural father?!" I gasped.

Shrugging, Randy replied passively, "He was the only one I knew at the time. I walked in on him feeding when we were in Evolution and he told me the truth."

Randy went on, saying, "Anyway, I didn't realize the consequences of my actions. I don't age as fast as everyone else, so eventually, I'll have to leave the business just to keep away suspicion, and then I've lost what I changed for in the first place. Not to mention, all my family members and friends and even you won't be around for eternity, and that is probably the worst consequence of all."

He looked at me with an expression like the thought of living on without me was truly agonizing. I didn't want to think about death and eternity and Randy leaving the business, so I asked something else, "I read that vampires have a kind of hierarchy: group leaders, district managers who overlook the groups leaders, and judges who overlook everyone. Who is the leader of the group of WWE vampires?"

"Punk," Randy revealed.

"What? Ew..." I blurted.

"Ew?" Randy lifted his brow at me.

"He's just so...not as cool as a vampire leader should be," I said.

Randy chuckled and replied with a shake of his head, "You watch too many movies."

"Well, does that mean he's leader over you, then?" I asked, feeling kind of put off.

"Politically, yes, but as far as anything else goes, he can kiss my ass," Randy replied, always the rebel.

I laughed and Randy added, "Status symbols aren't as important to vampires as they are to werewolves. If you put them side-by-side, Gabriel definitely has more power over his pack than Punk has over us, but in a fight, the vampires usually win."

"Well that's good," I squeezed Randy's hand.

He smiled slightly at me and I told him, "I want you to know that I'm sorry about what I said this morning. I didn't mean to make you think that I was blowing you off. This is all just very new and confusing to me, and I admit, I've never really felt like this about anyone before."

Randy looked away like my words affected him very deeply, then he replied thickly, "I've never felt like this about anyone else, either."

"Is it alright if I keep staying with you overnight? I don't really feel safe by myself anymore," I said.

Randy quickly nodded, but asked with concern, "Why don't you feel safe?"

"I don't know, it's not important. Could I ask you one more question?" I suggested.

"Why not," Randy said.

"Do you mind if I kiss you right now?" I asked.

Randy was up on his elbows and leaning into me before I realized he had moved. He answered quickly, "Absolutely."

"Nobody's listening to us or reading our thoughts or anything, right?" I asked as I leaned toward him.

"Hell no, and even if they are, I'll tell them to shut their fucking minds off," Randy answered, eagerly waiting for me.

I came within an inch of his lips, then I asked, "Should I be careful? Are you gonna get over excited and crush me or something?"

"Just come here," Randy grabbed me by the back of the neck and forced my lips into his.

He tasted like salt and pennies, very similar to my dream, but it was much more enticing this time. He parted his lips to let me deeper inside, and I noticed almost immediately that his mouth was very dry compared to mine. I made a mental note to ask him about it later, then I stood up and braced my foot on the chair so I could lean into Randy more easily.

His kisses became more intense, and I couldn't help feeling dizzy and excited by it at the same time. He wasn't hurting me, but with each increase of his strength, I wondered if he really could incidentally cause damage from being aroused. I started to pull away, but just like in the dream, Randy held fast to my lips and wouldn't let me go.

I groaned lightly and found Randy's hand, squeezing it that I needed him to give me a break. He immediately let up and I stumbled back, taking a huge gasp of air.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," Randy realized he was slowly suffocating me with his need to prolong our make-out session.

"It's okay. Don't you...breathe?" I asked while trying to catch my own.

"My body doesn't need oxygen to survive anymore, but I can imitate breathing and sighing and I can still fill my lungs with air. It's the most noticeable thing to people when you don't look like you're breathing," he explained, hopping off of the bed to check on me.

Putting up my hand to stop him, I replied, "I'm fine, really. That was just really awesome."

Randy grinned broadly, and I was almost disappointed that his fangs weren't out at that moment.

The sound of the show's opening theme started playing, and Randy mentioned, "We should go."

"Yeah. Could we do more of that tonight?" I asked hopefully.

Randy looked at me with surprise, then he smiled and said dryly, "Next time, I'll try not to suffocate you."

"Oh, a little bit's not so bad," I joked in return, and Randy made a wry expression.

* * *

Randy was right about Batista. He wasn't easy on me by any means, but he managed not to break me in half in front of the live audience, much to my surprise. I was practically limping back to the locker room, but thankfully my beat down soon wore off, and all I could think about was meeting up with Randy.

I was helping some of the clean up crew and I didn't get back to the hotel until late. I knocked on Randy's door, and he opened it right away, stepping aside so I could walk in. I looked around and noticed almost a dozen carts of fully prepared meals taking up every bit of free space, and I asked awkwardly, "Uh...were you expecting more people?"

Randy closed the door and tried to maneuver his way around the carts, telling me, "I already ate and I didn't know what you wanted, so I ordered...everything on the menu."

"Wow, you really know the way to my heart," I feigned wiping away a tear.

Randy laughed and jumped onto the bed. He idly watched a re-run on TV while I sorted through the carts and found several plates of stuff I wanted to freely consume. I sat by the bed and inhaled my food, a habit I had always had since I was a little kid, and soon I found Randy watching me while I ate.

"If I choke, you know CPR, right?" I joked after a major swallow.

"I'm a bit rusty, but yeah, I'll try and save you," Randy replied sarcastically.

As soon as I finished my food, I crawled into bed with him and put my head on his chest. His body felt hot again, and it was strangely soothing to me. We watched TV in silence for a few minutes, then Randy gently kissed from the top of my head down to each of my eyelids before he lifted my chin and matched our lips together.

It didn't take long for me to notice that his mouth was not so dry anymore. He also tasted even more like pennies and his mouth felt as hot as his skin. It was like making out with the steam in a sauna, if that's even possible.

Randy rolled me over and slowly removed my shirt. I let him open my jeans, but he didn't pull them down. Instead, he teased me by running his fingers along the lowest part of my abs, lingering in the space just before my groin.

I groaned as I felt my dick swell from the stimulation of Randy's game. It suddenly became clear to me that there was no way that these feelings could not be mine just as much as they were his. I knew at that moment that I really wanted Randy, and the only way to really let him know that was to make a request.

Parting lips to breathe, I locked eyes with Randy and asked softly, "Will you bite me?"

He smiled like he was overjoyed that I asked, then his smile faded and he said, "Are you sure you want it? It can have different effects depending on the person."

"I want it, I do, but you have to bite me where no one will see it," I said, acknowledging the chaos that would ensue if I had a snakebite looking mark on my body during Monday Night RAW for the millions of viewers to see.

"I know just the place," Randy curled his upper lip back so I could see his fangs drop down.

I held my breath and waited anxiously for Randy to show me where. He touched different areas of my arms and chest, then he would kiss me there lightly before moving on, teasing me to the point where I thought I couldn't take anymore.

He ran his fingertips along the edge of my jeans, stopping at my right hip. He slowly peeled the edge of my jeans down to expose my right side, then he smoothed his palm over my hip and stopped just below the place where the pelvic bone sticks out slightly.

"This is it," Randy bit his bottom lip like he was savoring the moment.

My heart started pounding as I watched him lean into my hip. He cocked his head toward me to listen to my heartbeat, then he asked curiously, "Is this upsetting you?"

"No, I'm just really excited," I said thickly.

He kept his eyes on my hip as he told me quietly, "If it hurts too much, just tell me to let go."

Randy leaned in even closer to my hip, but hesitated before touching it. He parted his lips and the veins on his face turned black, but his expression stayed calm and focused. He ran over the skin he planned to bite with his thumb, then he pressed his lips to it, and his lower jaw slacked while his upper jaw took hold like a snake and I felt the fangs sink in.

There was a shot of extreme, overwhelming pain. My body started to tense, but the pain lasted only a few seconds before a rush of numbness took over and my muscles completely relaxed. Randy drew back his fangs and began tenderly sucking on the wound, filling his mouth with teaspoonfuls of my blood at a time before swallowing. I could feel the tip of his tongue pressing against each of the punctures, possibly to keep them from trying to close.

I could feel the blood leaving my body. It was like that rush you get in your mouth when you drink liquid through a sports bottle with only a small hole at the top, only the rush was going out instead of coming in. The numbness left me and I felt adrenaline kicking in. I realized my body was going into survival mode from the sensation of losing blood, even though I was nowhere near death.

Something else was building up inside of me. It was an indescribable feeling, and it kept climbing its way through my legs, then up my torso, then through my arms, and finally up to my head. At first, I thought it was some kind of second adrenaline rush, but when it reached my brain, I felt the most amazing euphoria that I had ever deemed possible.

"Randy," I breathed out loud.

He instantly let go of my hip and asked me seriously, "What's wrong?"

"No, it's...it's not wrong, it...it feels good," I struggled to remember how to speak.

Randy came back up to me and stared deeply into my eyes to analyze something there. I smiled broadly at him and said, "Don't stop. You're the best I've ever felt."

He leaned into me and whispered softly, "I need to make you come or you're going to start feeling lots of pain."

"Okay...why?" I was confused.

"It's all in your nerves. If I can release them, you won't reach toxic levels," he replied, then he reached down and took hold of my dick.

He started rubbing my shaft in fast, rhythmic motions. My nerves responded with massive sensitivity, and I cried out from the raw, bordering on painful pleasure that I felt.

Randy kept moving faster and faster as the tension kept building. His blue-green irises stared intensely into my blue ones, like he was getting almost as much joy out of this as I was. I clung to his t-shirt and chanted his name as my body felt like it was being pushed to the brink of total combustion.

I reached a sudden point of opacity, where there was no feeling or sensation at all, and then a sudden rush of extreme release. I came twice within seconds of each other, spilling out into the palm of Randy's hand. I collapsed against the bed and the euphoria completely left me, along with the sensitivity in my nerves, but I still felt pretty damn good.

Randy looked at me and asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah, that was fun," I beamed.

Randy focused on his hand and I added, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's no big deal," Randy replied.

He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his hand off, then he came back to me, but his expression was morose. I asked him, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wish I could have licked my hand to know what that part of you tasted like," he said thickly.

"Why couldn't you?" I asked curiously.

He looked very deliberately at me, and with a short smile, he revealed, "If a vampire tastes the seed of a living man, it will poison him for a slow death."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I stared at him wide eyed.


	7. Chapter 7

7:

_I was lying naked and face down on a giant bed while Randy ran his hands along my skin, sending electrical pulses through his fingertips to stimulate my nerves. It was moderately painful, but that made everything all the more pleasurable for me._

_I moaned softly in rhythm with the pulses, my body writhing with intensity. My nerves were becoming raw from the sensation, but I didn't want Randy to stop, and with the pain just made it all the more erotically charged._

_Randy cupped my ass with his palms and squeezed, releasing a strong pulse that made me call out to him. He chuckled and came up to greet me, pressing his naked body against mine so that his large groin was nestled between the cheeks of my backside as he put his lips to my ear and asked me thickly, "Do you like the pain, John?"_

"_Only when it comes from you," I replied softly._

_He ran his clawed fingernails down my right side to tingle my skin. I smiled at the feeling and he asked me playfully, "Are you a masochist, John Cena?"_

_I suddenly felt uneasy, and Randy became concerned, lifting himself off of me so he could roll over on his side and look me in the eyes. I lowered my gaze and admitted softly, "Yes, I am."_

_Randy blinked with surprise and turned his head to one side like he hadn't anticipated a serious answer. I quickly added, "But don't tell anyone, Randy, please! If something like that got out, my life would be hell-"_

_He interrupted me by placing his hand over my cheek as he told me deliberately, "I would NEVER tell a soul as long as I exist. It's just between us."_

"_Thank you, Randy, thank you," I said._

_He withdrew his hand and I felt something wet on my cheek. I reached up to touch it and looked down to see liquid tears. I became confused as the tears dripped off of my fingers and onto the red sheets of the bed, dampening the sheets and making the color turn dark like blood. _

I sat up and took a gasp of air. I hadn't realized I was dreaming until I realized I was awake. I glanced around and saw the features of the hotel room to indicate I was indeed awake, but I could feel the wetness on my cheek again, so I wiped my face and found tears in my hands just like in the dream.

Randy sat up next to me and asked, "Are you alright? You woke up really fast."

"I didn't...know we were dreaming...why am I crying?" I was totally confused.

Randy easily explained, "You _were _crying shortly after you fell asleep. I went into your dream but it took me a while to find you."

"What happened that would make me want to cry?" I asked curiously, trying to remember any details of last night's dreams.

Randy looked away from me and replied quietly, "I found you at a funeral. I had to ask the other dream people before I figured out it was your father's funeral."

I nodded knowingly. I had always been very close with my father, but being a professional wrestler meant I was on the road most of the time and I rarely got to see him. I often worried that I would get a call while on the road from one of my brothers or mom saying that dad was gone.

"I dream about him like that sometimes. It scares the hell out of me, thinking of him like that, but the dreams always give me a kind of peace despite the theme," I explained.

Randy looked at me more seriously and said, "I took you away with me because I didn't want to see you hurting. I shouldn't have done that, it was selfish of me and I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Being with you makes me happy," I smiled.

Randy made a mischievous grin and replied smartly, "I can see that."

He nodded at my groin and I looked down to see my full erection trying to burst out through my boxers. I laughed and asked Randy in a mock-serious tone, "Wanna take a cold shower with me?"

He was already in the bathroom before I had time to turn around and look.

* * *

We mostly made out in the shower. The bite mark Randy left on my hip was slightly bruised, but I let him drink from it again anyway. I didn't get all psyched out like the night before, probably because Randy didn't have to use his fangs this time, but watching his eyes roll into the back of his head while he mixed my blood around in his mouth and swallowed it down like a fine wine was just as hot.

When Randy finished, I asked him curiously, "Does biting me change me into a vampire?"

"No, there's a lot more to it than that," he said, bounding to his feet with super quick speed.

"Oh. So I'm just like a giant baby bottle and my hip is the nipple you suck from, huh?" I joked, shaking my hip at him playfully.

He grabbed me around the waist and we wrestled our way out of the shower. Once we were dressed and leaving for the bus, Randy was still completely wired like a kid high on Mountain Dew and Pop Rocks. He bounded down the hallway, and bounced on the balls of his feet the entire elevator ride down to the first floor, then he nearly rushed a couple of seniors on his way out the door.

"What is the matter with you?" I asked after checking on the seniors to make sure they weren't going to die from the shock of almost being mowed down by a zealous wrestler.

"I'm sorry, but your blood just makes me so..._HIGH_..." Randy closed his eyes and absorbed the sun's rays like he was on vacation.

"Yeah, well, if you're gonna act all freaky-dinky, then I'm restricting blood time to after-hours-and-in-private," I stated.

Randy opened his eyes and glared at me. I kept walking, so he frowned and deliberately acted all mopey the rest of the way to the bus. I turned back to argue with him when I saw Gabriel coming up behind Randy and I immediately tensed. Randy went serious in less than a second and shifted himself to block me from Gabriel as he took on a defensive stance. The other wrestlers and Divas were already filing onto the bus or talking amongst themselves a distance away and none were aware of the situation unfolding.

Gabriel came near and kept his eyes only on me, saying deliberately, "I would like to speak with you, John."

"We've got to go, Gabriel. Aren't you supposed to be with the Smackdown roster?" I tried to blow him off.

"I will make it to the arena in time. Please, John. I only need a moment of your time," Gabriel said more urgently.

I made a long sigh and replied, "Alright, but hurry."

Randy looked at me with widened eyes like he wanted to argue my approval, but I warned him with my eyes not to interfere, and he stayed where he was. I could feel Randy's eyes watching me as I walked off with Gabriel. Even as we rounded the corner of the hotel to stay out of sight of the others, I could still feel Randy's gaze on me.

I stopped and Gabriel turned to face me, but his eyes drifted down to the right pocket of my jeans, and I knew he was picking up on the fresh bite mark just behind the pocket. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he snarled, "He bit you."

"I wanted him to. Now, what did you want to ask?" I tried to put us back on-subject.

Gabriel's locked eyes with me, temporarily stunned. He obviously didn't consider that some people desired being bitten by a vampire. He struggled to regroup as he asked me like he already knew the answer, "The necklace...you still have it?"

"It's in my pocket, yeah," I answered.

"Give it to me," Gabriel put out his hand.

I scoffed at him and stated, "Hell no."

Again, he was stunned. He stared at me and asked, "Why would you use it when you know that it is against the werewolves?"

"Because I don't trust the werewolves after Barrett made it clear he really wants to jump me in a dark alley," I replied angrily.

Gabriel shook his head and stated, "Barrett would never hurt you. I would kill him if he did, he knows that."

This time, it was my turn to be stunned. I quickly tried to cover my surprise so Gabriel didn't notice as I said, "I'm not giving you the necklace because it's not mine to give. It was a gift. Besides, Randy tells me that your pack only wants me to use as leverage against the vampires, and I'm not about to let that happen."

Again, Gabriel shook his head and replied, "This is not true. I would not do that to you, John."

"You know what? I don't believe you," I started to walk away.

"John, I need to tell you something," Gabriel started.

"Tell me when I give a shit," I remarked sarcastically, continuing to leave.

Gabriel suddenly shouted at me, "I have strong feelings for you, John Cena!"

I stopped and slowly turned back to face him. He looked at me with desperate eyes and explained, "I honestly have an attraction to you. It is not part of any unjust motive. You know that I would not lie to you about this."

He had a point. Gabriel was always very serious when it came to relationships and emotions. I sighed heavily and said, "I don't know what to say."

Gabriel stepped closer to me and replied, "Let me show you that I am true in my words. Come out with me tonight. I will take you to a private place. We will dine like kings. You can ask me anything and I will share it with you. Please, John, let me show you my sincerity."

He was as legitimate as he ever could be, but it just wasn't right for me.

"I'm sorry, Justin, I really am, but I just don't think of you that way," I told him honestly.

His entire expression feel. He appeared to be in complete agony, and I couldn't stomach it. I turned to leave again, but Gabriel continued, arguing desperately with me, "Johnathon, please! You do not understand! I have chosen _you _to be my life companion! This means that I will be unable to choose another until the event of your death!"

His words infuriated me. I unleashed on him, yelling loudly, "Don't do that! Don't make me feel like I'm obligated to serve your supernatural rules and rituals like some puppet! I don't care if I'm marked or I'm some human destiny or whatever the fuck else, I'm tired of werewolves and vampires telling me that I have to do all of these things to make their lives better without even asking once how _I_ feel about it or what _I _want to do!"

"That is not what I meant..." Gabriel started, but I didn't want to hear another word.

"Don't talk to me anymore, alright? We're not friends, as far as I'm concerned. Go back to Smackdown and leave me the fuck alone," I turned on my heel and walked away.

As soon as I came around the corner, I almost ran right into Randy. He moved aside to let me pass, and I asked him angrily, "You heard it all, right?"

"I only wanted to make sure you were safe," Randy informed me.

I tried to walk past him, but he easily kept in line with me. I stopped and told him, "Look, I want to be alone. I'm going to take my own car to the next arena."

"John," Randy argued, but I walked away from him as well.

* * *

I didn't head in the direction of the next arena. Instead, I drove the state back roads and tried to think things through. There was so much shit going on, and Gabriel's revelation only made it ten times worse. I knew my rejection of him was going to have consequences, but I had no clue what to expect, let alone how to handle it.

Nightfall came faster than I realized. I was still on some abandoned dirt road surrounded by trees when 11PM hit on my car's digital clock. I had turned my cell phone off to enjoy the quiet, and I glanced at it in the passenger's seat, thinking to myself that now would be a good time to turn it back and give Vince a call to let him know I was still alive.

I pulled over to the side of the road and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. I had spent all these hours thinking and I still hadn't come up with jack shit as far as what to do about anything. I knew for sure that I wanted to be with Randy, but even that came with its share of problems. Would I need to become a vampire to be with him? If I chose not to, would he drop me like a bad habit as soon as I got old and he just stayed the same? Would it be safer to become a vampire so Gabriel didn't have me killed just to find another life companion? Would Barrett kill me anyway just for rejecting Gabriel?

"Fuck," I grumbled to myself, sitting up as I glanced passively at the rear-view mirror.

I saw something in the road behind me. I turned around to see it with my own eyes, but it was mostly concealed by darkness. It was large and gray and I assumed it was a dog. I faced forward again and turned the car back on, using caution to pull back out into the road in case the dog decided to chase my tires. I checked the rear-view mirror again, but the dog was gone, so I breathed a sigh of relief and started driving.

The car only made it a few yards before I heard a loud POP!

I felt the car lean to one side, and I knew I had blown a tire.

"Fuck me," I slammed my fist against the steering wheel.

I checked the rear-view mirror again. No dog. No headlights. No one for miles.

I opened the door a little and waited. If there was an animal around, I wanted to be cautious about it. I had heard stories of rabid creatures and I didn't want to be the idiot on the front page who got his ass bitten by one while cruising the back roads alone in the middle of the night like a bad horror film remake.

There were no sounds of animals at all. Nothing. The creepy back roads was just silent and pitch black. Not even a damn cricket chirping.

I got out and looked around. Still nothing, so I went around to check the tire. I noticed the car was at an angle on the road as I leaned down, but I still stumbled and the wolfsbane necklace fell out of my pocket and slid underneath the car.

"Fuck me twice," I groaned, lying down on my stomach to see where the necklace went.

I looked underneath the car just as a gray shadow rushed past on the other side. I quickly shot up to my feet and whirled around to see what it was. There was nothing on the road and no sign of anything in the creepy darkness, but I could feel in my gut that something was watching me.

I suddenly remembered my cell phone and I reached for the handle of the passenger door. The gray shadow came out of the darkness and tackled me so hard, we both collided with the car and the car itself slid a few feet from the impact. I hit the ground hard and the back of my head slammed against the pavement, temporarily dulling my senses.

The gray mass easily held me down with its front paws. I looked up at it and locked eyes with what appeared to be a gray wolf, but it was about four times the normal size and it was holding itself up on its hind legs like a man would. There was also something very unusual about the eyes: they were a familiar brown.

"Gabriel," I whispered.

He suddenly reached down with his left paw and cut open the edge of my jeans to expose the bite mark that Randy had left on me. Gabriel curled back his lips to reveal a set of gleaming teeth with exceptionally sharp canines in the forefront.

I knew what he was about to do, but it was too late to react.

Gabriel opened his snout and bit down down over Randy's mark to replace it with his own mark.

My head snapped back and I cried out in agonizing pain. I thought Randy's fangs piercing my skin hurt like hell, but this was much, much worse, and unlike when I was with Randy, this pain wasn't going away.


	8. Chapter 8

8:

_I was wandering through a fog, trying to remember how I had gotten here and what the hell had just happened. Was I dead? Was I dreaming? Oh my fucking God, this can't be real._

_The fog separated and I saw Randy off in the distance. I rushed over to him and he seemed surprised to see me, asking, "Where have you been, John?"_

"_I need your help, Randy. I was driving last night and I blew a tire and Gabriel, he came after me in wolf form and he bit me and...and..." _

_Randy's eyes were as wide as saucers. I tried to remember what happened after Gabriel bit me, but I didn't have the slightest clue. Randy put his hands over my face and asked me quickly, "Gabriel must be blocking me from finding you. You have to tell me where you are so that I can come and get you."_

_I thought as hard as I could, but nothing was coming to mind. I shook my head and replied, "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything, I don't know..."_

_I could hear Gabriel whispering for me in the distance. My bitten leg started to ache and I looked desperately into Randy's eyes, telling him, "I think Gabriel is going to try and fuck me and I don't know what else he's capable of anymore."_

_Gabriel's whispers were coming closer. I started feeling myself being pulled away from Randy. He reached out to me and shouted, "John!"_

"_Save me," I uttered, but I doubted anyone heard me._

I shot up in bed and struggled to catch my breath. I glanced around and realized I was in some kind of a cabin, but it was decked out to the nines. I caught sight of Gabriel standing at the side of the bed looking me over, and I remembered what he did to me.

"I am glad that you are awake. I was getting anxious," Gabriel smiled slightly at me like he was engaging an old friend.

Using all the force I could muster, I kicked him in the gut with my good leg and jumped out of bed, rushing for the door without looking back. I heard Gabriel say calmly from behind me, "You can not outrun me, John."

I didn't listen to him. I ran as fast as I could down the hallway of the cabin. There was a wooden staircase that led down to the first floor, and I did my best to get down as fast as possible without tripping myself up or hurting my leg worse. It was throbbing where Gabriel had bitten me, and I knew it would slow me down, but I ignored the pain and kept running.

Once I reached the bottom of the steps, I whirled around and saw the backdoor just down the hallway behind the stairs. I started for it, but Gabriel appeared at the top of the steps, then he leaped over the railing and dropped a full story down to where I was, landing with the ease of an acrobat.

He looked at me curiously and asked, "Why are you running away from me, John? Is there something upsetting you?"

I stared at him in disbelief, then I flew into a fit of rage.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You turned into a giant predator, tackled me and bit me in the leg! Now, you're hiding me out in some cabin and you think I'm not upset?"

Gabriel argued with me like he still wasn't catching on, "You are not a prisoner here, John. I brought you here because I assumed you would like some time alone after the way you reacted last night. I was not aware that you would be so angry."

I couldn't believe I wasn't getting through to him. I tried to put it in plainer words, "Look, I told you that I didn't want you, and you betrayed me and bit me anyway. As far as I'm concerned, you're the enemy and I want nothing to do with you."

Gabriel took on a darker look as my words finally started to sink in. He explained to me, "I told you that I chose you and I could not choose another."

"So you just got down with your bad self and bit me because you can't live without me, is that it?" I yelled.

"What I have done will protect you from the vampires. You are a member of the wolf pack now, and that means you are invincible even in your current human form!" he said.

Gabriel seemed to be hinting that I may not be human for long. I locked my jaw and glared at him. He went on, saying more calmly, "We are fully connected now. That means that you feel what I feel, that you know where I am and I know where you are, and if you were to die, I would die."

He looked at me somberly, as if I would somehow be moved to understand because of this revelation. I just leaned into him and told him acidly, "I..._hate_...you."

Gabriel took a step back, reacting with legitimate agony toward my words. I suddenly felt an intense pain in my heart and I groaned as I tried to contain it. Gabriel pointed at me and stated, "Now you know what your words have done to me!"

I couldn't stand the sight of him anymore. I tried to storm off, but the pain in my chest coupled with the pain in my leg made my furious exit look more like random hobbling. I limped my way to an antique chair facing a window and sat down in it. I looked outside, but there was nothing for miles except open land. I put my head in my hands and tried desperately not to start sobbing like a damn baby out of raw frustration.

"I want you to know something," Gabriel came to stand beside me.

My eyes wouldn't meet his, but he continued anyway, saying softly, "When I bit you, I felt your feelings for Randy Orton. I saw your fantasies of him, and I felt your desire for him."

I looked up at him with a vengeful glare and seethed, "That was not meant for you."

Gabriel put his hands up in defeat and replied, "I am telling you that what I saw made me realize how you feel for Randy. I am willing to come to a compromise with him so that you may spend equal time with each of us."

I chuckled morosely. Gabriel ignored me and continued, "I want you to be happy, John. You are my companion now, and I will do anything in my power to see that you are protected and looked after. Anything that you want is yours, even Randy. I will still my hand out for you with the desire that one day, you will feel the same for me that I feel for you, and you will take my hand."

I watched him take on a more stern look as he stated, "But you must know that you have obligations to our pack and to me. I want you to be a willing companion to me, but whether you choose to or not, you will give me your body when I ask for it."

He waited for me to reply. I opened my mouth and said defiantly, "Fuck you sideways, Dog-boy."

Then I turned away from him and stared out the window. He kept his eyes on me for a long time, like he didn't know how to respond, then he asked very calmly, "Would you like me to call Randy for you?"

"Do whatever the fuck you want," I didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing my relief.

He walked out of the room, but I knew he was still nearby. I just stayed where I was and concentrated on my breathing until Randy came.

* * *

There was a knock at the door a short time later. Gabriel came back and went to answer it. I stayed in my seat and pretended like I didn't care one way or the other, but inside I was going off like fireworks.

I heard Gabriel open the door, then he said, "You may come in."

Randy was by my side in an instant. He got down on one knee and reached for my upper thigh, but instinctively, I jerked away, surprising both Randy and myself. He drew his hand back and looked up at me with solemn eyes, asking quietly, "Are you alright?"

"No, no I'm not," I said truthfully.

Gabriel came around to look at me, and my whole temperament went chaotic again. Randy stood up and started for Gabriel, but Gabriel warned him darkly, "You hurt me, and John will feel it."

Randy stopped and stared at Gabriel with clenched fists. There was a long minute of tense silence, then Randy said to Gabriel calmly, "Do you even realize what you've done to John?"

"You should be relieved that he is safe from the contests that come with vampire-human relations," Gabriel pointed out defiantly.

Randy shook his head and replied, "No, you didn't do this to protect him from me or the other vampires. You did this because you're selfish, and you know full well that his mark means Punk and the others will be worse on him because of what you've done."

Gabriel swallowed hard and glanced at me. It was written all over his face that Randy was exactly right. Moving on, Randy pointed at me and explained, "What I meant was that you bit John."

Scoffing, Gabriel countered, "You bit him as well!"

Randy leaned in closely to Gabriel and stated, "That's because he wanted me to, and I did everything in my power to make it as pleasurable as possible for him, but his body still naturally responded to that kind of trauma by almost slipping into shock."

Gabriel became confused, so Randy clarified for him, "You bit him when he was unprepared and while you were in your wolf form. That means that his body is reacting the way it would when it's been attacked by a wild animal. The damage from that kind of trauma leaves physical _and_ mental scars."

I felt a sudden sense of panic and disdain. It was Gabriel's feelings when he realized the damage he had caused me. The sense faded and Gabriel tried to regain his control, telling Randy, "I will do whatever is needed to give John peace. I will fix any trouble that I have caused."

Randy stared Gabriel down and replied morosely, "You don't easily fix this kind of broken."

Tears of frustration formed in Gabriel's eyes and he asked, "What can I do? What will make this right for him?"

"You will let him leave with me," Randy stated.

Gabriel widened his eyes with surprise. I got up to my feet and added, "You said I could go with Randy when I wanted to, Gabriel, and I want to now."

There were several tense seconds where I was sure Gabriel would tell us both no, but instead, he lowered his gaze and said, "You may go."

Randy was out the door faster than I could see. I became confused, wondering why he had just taken off without me, then he reappeared with a bucket of car oil and splashed it all over Gabriel.

Gabriel cried out and slipped in the oil, falling flat on his back. He tried to get up but he kept slipping in the slick around him and he growled with intense frustration. Randy nodded at him and said boldly, "You take what you deserve, Dog."

"You are a bastard!" Gabriel fumed, but Randy just smiled arrogantly.

* * *

Randy took me back to his hotel room and let me take a long, hot shower while he went out to get me something to eat. It took all I had to look down at the bite mark Gabriel put over Randy's on my hip. Gabriel's teeth marks were much more obvious and he had bitten down deep enough to expose the muscle underneath. It was black from bruising and clotting and just looking at it made me sick. I tried to clean it out with soap, but it seemed like nothing I did made it any better, so I finally gave up and decided to ignore it completely.

I just put on a pair of boxers and laid in bed watching TV until Randy came back. He stayed close to me while still maintaining enough comfortable distance that I wasn't distracted by him while I ate. He would watch me carefully, then look away when I caught him staring. I finished eating and lay down comfortably before I asked him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know how bad Gabriel fucked you up. I'm trying to decide whether I should sleep in the same bed with you or not," Randy replied.

"What does that mean? Do you think I'm going to flip out on you?" I retorted loudly.

"It's not that. I just don't want to make you feel worse," Randy said.

His gaze told me that he wasn't joking. I suddenly panicked, sitting up straight as I shouted at him, "What? You're going to make me stay the night alone?"

Randy leaned in and explained, "You won't be alone. I just know you're freaked out and I'm not helping the situation..."

"Stay with me," I whispered.

Randy didn't say another word. He lay down and I rested my head on his chest, clutching his t-shirt like a security blanket while we watched TV together in silence. Randy asked me after a space of time without words, "Could I take a look at the bite?"

"Not now,"I tensed up just at the thought of having to look at it again.

"Whenever you're ready," Randy told me, becoming quiet again.

After another block of silence, I suddenly asked, "Randy?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Will Gabriel know if you fuck me?" I asked.

Randy pondered his answer quietly for several long seconds before he answered thickly, "Whatever you feel from him, he feels from you ten times as strong. He will know when I make love to you, and he'll feel every goddamn second of it."

"Randy, I need you to know something," I said.

"You don't have to tell me now," he seemed to already know what I was thinking.

I looked up at his blue-green eyes and told him, "Gabriel wants to fuck me, and I'm betting I can't stall him forever, but if I want any of this to be on my terms, then I just want you to know that I want you to fuck me first."

He gazed at me with a kind of compassion that I had never seen from him before, then he told me quietly, "Sleep now, John. We'll talk about this later."

I rested my head on his chest again and closed my eyes to sleep, asking softly, "Do you even want to fuck me?"

He waited until I was almost asleep before he whispered in response, "More than anything."


	9. Chapter 9

9:

"...would like to see him."

I opened my eyes and listened. I was sure I just heard a voice.

"He just woke up. Come back later when he's ready to see you," Randy warned.

I sat up and saw Randy at the open door, blocking someone on the other side from coming in. I could hear Gabriel's voice and I recognized it as the one I had heard when I woke up as he said, "I would like to see him now. It is my duty to make certain he is alright."

Randy glanced back at me, but continued to block Gabriel as he stated firmly, "You know he is alright, because you would've felt it otherwise. Go back to the arena and we'll be there soon."

I got up and started for the door. Gabriel argued with Randy, "Why do you think that you can instruct me on how to watch over John? He is my..."

I grabbed the edge of the door and pulled it open wide enough so that I could see Gabriel as I asked him darkly, "What do you want?"

He made an expression like he was hoping I would be more excited to see him, then he quickly regrouped and asked, "How are you this morning, John? I did not like the way we left things, I have come to formally apologize."

"I don't really wanna talk about all this drama right now," I shrugged.

Gabriel instantly glared at Randy and asked, "What have you done? Why is he acting this way toward me?"

Randy opened his mouth to argue, but I got there first, telling Gabriel, "Get in here. Randy, close the door."

Gabriel came inside and Randy reluctantly closed the door. I came within inches of Gabriel and told him, "Talk to me any way you want, I'll deal with that the way I see fit, but if you start accusing Randy so you can have a bunch of reasons to split us up, then I'll take a carving knife to my leg and cut off the mark you left on me. Are we clear?"

Taking a big step back, Gabriel nodded, his expression startled. I could feel his emotions welling up inside of me, telling me that he legitimately feared for my safety. I ignored it and continued to act passive, asking again, "What do you want, Gabriel?"

"I told you, I have come to formally apologize," Gabriel said.

I couldn't help snorting laughter. Randy lifted his brows at me but Gabriel lowered his and asked harshly, "What do you find so humorous?"

That time, I did laugh, which only made Gabriel fume. I told him, "It's the way you talk. Why do you have to be so...correct about things?"

"There is nothing wrong with literacy," Gabriel argued, which only made me laugh harder.

Randy chuckled shortly and Gabriel glared at him, then he looked back at me and asked angrily, "What has happened to you?"

I stood up straight and countered seriously, "Nothing has happened to me. This is who I am! You would know that if you didn't bite first and ask questions later."

A sharp pain ripped through my heart, and I was beginning to recognize this sensation as the one that came after I did something to truly hurt Gabriel. I turned around to cringe so that Gabriel didn't see it, but I knew both he and Randy were probably well aware of what was going on.

Gabriel regrouped his feelings and the pain in my heart faded. I turned around and he pulled the wolfsbane necklace out of his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "I would like to return this to you."

Randy came up beside Gabriel with a shocked look on his face and asked, "How can you carry that around? Wolfsbane repels your kind!"

Gabriel kept his eyes on me while he explained simply, "Wolfsbane has no effect on me. I have a very rare genetic mutation. There have only been two others like me in all of recorded time."

Randy lifted an eyebrow of skepticism. I took the necklace and asked, "Well, why would you give it back to me if it's a wolf repellant?"

Gabriel turned his head to one side and answered, "Because it is yours."

"Oh. Right. So I guess werewolves are not into the finders keepers rule," I joked, shoving the necklace into my pocket.

"Do you believe I would steal your things?" Gabriel was completely confused.

I shook my head and changed the subject, asking, "Is that all?"

"I will be training in the ring this afternoon against Batista. You will come...I mean...I would be grateful if you would come to ringside to observe me," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, I'll think about it," I replied with a shrug.

Gabriel blinked and stared at me like I had just told him his best friend died. I turned away from him and went to the bathroom, saying before I slammed the door, "I'll see you at the arena, Gabriel!"

* * *

Randy had rented an open Jeep for transportation, and after he stopped to get me some breakfast, he parked us on a hill overlooking an open prairie so we could watch the sunrise while I ate. Randy rested his head in my lap and watched me engulf my mouth with huge bites of food like it was much more interesting than the purple and red sunrise. When I was almost finished, I swallowed another huge bite and asked, "What's so exciting about watching me stuff my face?"

"I'd say something like you look cute when you're eating but you really don't," Randy joked dryly.

"Oh, thanks," I retorted sarcastically before grabbing another bite.

Randy watched me quietly for a while longer, then he mentioned, "You really should go and watch Gabriel this afternoon."

I widened my eyes at him and swallowed my mouthful of food so I could ask, "What do you mean? I thought you'd be glad I blew Gabriel off!"

"I'm talking about Batista. You could see if he has any new moves up his sleeve. Punk will probably be there, too," Randy explained.

Scoffing, I asked, "Why are Punk and Batista suddenly all bromantic? They like, never hung out with each other before."

Randy chuckled at my bromance reference, then he answered, "They've always been close, but Punk was on Smackdown so they almost never saw each other. They both have the same idea about vampire superiority."

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

With a disagreeable frown, Randy replied, "Punk and Batista used to have a campaign going to get all of the werewolves to leave the WWE. It started getting violent, then Batista left and there was kind of an unspoken truce. Since Batista came back, there's been a lot of tension, but the werewolves figured the vampires were too concerned with you to restart the campaign."

I could already see where the story was going as I added, "But Gabriel bit me and that fucked things up royally, right?"

"Exactly," Randy confirmed.

"Where are you in all of this?" I asked him.

Randy sighed like he didn't want to answer me, but he explained anyway, "Punk doesn't trust you now that you're basically a part of Gabriel's pack. He thinks I failed to protect you from their influence and he is motioning with the District Manager to have my status downgraded and restricted."

"What does that mean?" I asked quietly.

Randy shook his head and replied, "It's not important. The District Managers only punish big time offenders. Besides, Punk is always filing motions because he likes to think he has lots of power."

I didn't think Randy was telling me the whole truth, but I dropped it anyway. I finished my last bite of breakfast and asked him curiously, "So how strong are you? I mean like, what's your limit?"

Randy half-smiled and took my hand to gently squeeze it between his own as he said, "I tried to test my limits once, but I freaked myself out."

"No way! What did you do?" I asked excitedly.

Randy scoffed and replied, "I don't know, I walked in front of a train going at full speed, I jumped off a few skyscrapers...then I tried to fly past the atmosphere, but that was too weird..."

"I was going to ask you about that. I hear wings sometimes when you're around but I don't see you in the air," I mentioned.

"That's because I'm moving too fast...and I don't really want you to see it because my wings are very frightening," Randy said.

"What's that supposed to mean? Do they make you look like a drag queen or something?" I joked.

Randy sat up and locked eyes with me, saying morosely, "I'm serious, John. My wings are meant to make me appear more devastating to my victims. I don't want you to see me like that."

I angrily folded my arms and replied, "I really hate it when you talk to me like I'm just some idiot human who doesn't understand! I think I should be able to see these things for myself and then decide if it's so devastating or not!"

The bite on my hip started to throb and I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if Gabriel was feeling my anger at that moment. Randy dropped the subject and asked me with concern, "Are you hurting?"

"It's just random stabs of pain, I'll get over it," I replied shortly.

Randy was quiet for a few seconds, then he asked thickly, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No," I whispered.

Randy gazed out at the rising sun, then he said to me, "I think you should know that you might respond differently to some things because Gabriel bit you."

"Like what?" I asked, grateful for anything more Randy could tell me.

He looked at me and replied, "Like you'll start to distinguish the supernatural from the human. You'll be especially sensitive to vampires. They might make you feel dizzy and off-balance."

"You don't make me dizzy," I mentioned.

Randy moved in next to me and pressed his lips to my left temple. I felt a sudden wave of dizziness that passed almost as quickly as it came. He pulled his lips away and whispered into my ear, "There are other things, but you'll probably only notice them with me."

"Why is that?" I asked quietly.

"Because they're sexual things," Randy stated thickly.

"What are they? Tell me," I looked up at him.

He leaned into me and drifted the end of his nose and chin across my forehead, down to my cheekbones, nuzzling me in a deliberate way. Much to my surprise, my insides were lighting up and my nerves felt like sparklers. I couldn't remember ever responding so dramatically to such a simple touch before.

"What's happening to me?" I asked Randy with a sense of awe.

"Werewolves mostly speak to each other through body language because they can't use their voices in wolf form. It's all about pattern and intent. Nuzzling communicates affection, deep connection, and sexual attraction, depending on how you do it," Randy explained.

I smiled and said, "Well, what you just did feels really good."

He nudged my lower jaw with his chin, and I automatically started laughing. I stopped after a few seconds and asked, "What was that?"

"A pattern of happiness," Randy replied.

"How do you know all of this when you're a vampire?" I asked.

"I do my research," he answered simply.

He nudged me again, but this time, he kept his chin against my lower jaw and gave me a quick and subtle second nudge that made my insides feel warm. He whispered to me, "That's a sexual nudge. It's very similar to the attack nudge, so you have to get it just right."

"Tell me more," I asked, feeling completely turned on.

He brought his lips to my ear again and whispered, "Turn around."

I slowly turned away from him and got up on my knees in the seat. Randy came up behind me and pressed his body against mine. He had done this to me in my dreams, but this was the first time I felt him like this while awake, and it was not only extremely stimulating, but my arousal level was on overdrive and I couldn't shut it off. Randy smoothly informed me, "Werewolves prefer this position the most. It's obvious when they're in wolf form, but in human form, it gives them the most powerful release."

He lightly kissed the back of my neck, then he told me thickly, "You're not a werewolf, but your connection to Gabriel means you'll probably feel the same effects this way."

The tension was too strong inside of me. I said out loud, "I can't take this anymore. Fuck me now, Randy."

He tried to calm me, saying, "It's too soon since Gabriel bit you, John. I could end up hurting you or making you feel worse..."

"No, I want you _now_, Randy," I argued with him.

"John, I can't. I want to, please know that I do, but I can't risk what could happen to you," Randy said, his voice catching.

The tension inside was threatening to break me. I suddenly felt like I wanted to just start running and never stop. My breathing sounded like panting and my heart thudded in my chest. I cried out with frustration and shouted at Randy, "Do something, goddammit!"

He flipped me over and laid me down in the seat, then Randy unzipped my jeans and took out my erection. Before I could say another word, Randy went down on me and surrounded my dick with his mouth.

The energy slowly started to drain from me. Randy's tongue smoothed over my groin and teased my balls, bringing me closer to release while lowering my level of tension. I moaned and kicked the seat, trying to relax, to not fight it...

I came suddenly. It was amazingly powerful, and my body went limp as the energy left me completely. Randy came back up to face me and said dryly, "Well, that was fast."

"Your turn," I said, reaching into his jeans.

Randy was already hard, and his eyes widened when I took hold of him. I started massaging his shaft, watching him as he growled with pleasure and focused right back on me. His dick felt warm to the touch, but it was as stiff and strong as marble in my palm. I squeezed him a little and Randy jerked violently, hitting the top of the passenger's seat with the back of his hand.

The top of the seat broke clear off its hinges and flew out of the back of the Jeep. I was totally astonished but I kept going, curious to see what he might do if I grabbed his balls and squeezed.

I tried it, and he kicked the driver's side door out.

"Shit, Randy!" I was starting to get turned on again just watching him destroy things.

"I want to kiss you now, John," Randy said, bearing his fangs.

I nodded and he mashed his lips painfully against mine, clinging to the dashboard with his left hand. He ripped the dashboard out and tossed it outside as he pulled away from me and arched his back, yelling furiously, "Fuck!"

He suddenly took me by the wrist and pulled me away from his dick. He tore at my clothes until there was nothing left of them but shreds, then he took off his shirt. I reached for his jeans and opened them, but he didn't bother taking them off. He turned me over and sank himself as deeply inside of me as he could go.

It didn't hurt like I thought it would. There was a slight pain when he first entered, but nothing more. I turned my head to one side and asked him, "What did you do?"

"I know my way through your pain," Randy whispered to me cryptically.

"Well, at least let me feel some of it," I smiled.

Randy made a quick thrust with his hips and I felt the tires of the Jeep lift off the ground on one side. Inside of me, the feeling was intense and dramatic. I didn't know if I should moan or scream.

He pulled out almost completely and made a second thrust back in. There was some pain this time, but the pleasure outweighed any discomfort. I went forward and almost hit the passenger door. Randy shoved the door itself and knocked it out, then he leaned me forward until I was at an angle hanging out of the Jeep and facing downward.

I should have felt like I was going to fall, but Randy had a secure hold on me. He made another quick and strong thrust, sending another wave of intense and mind numbing pleasure through me.

My mind was struggling to process what was happening. I grabbed onto Randy's left arm and squeezed his wrist, telling him, "I like what you're doing, oh God, I do, and I hate to fucking say this, but could you slow down?"

He easily pulled me back up so that I was on my knees in the seat again. Randy started thrusting in slow, thick movements. His dick felt like stone but moved like cream in my backside. The friction inside was creating a type of pleasure I had never felt before. There was something else trying to push its way through, a feeling that I didn't like as much and I kept trying to push it back.

"Randy?" I groaned.

He cried out loudly and made a strong forward thrust like he had released, but his dick didn't lose its erection. I came again from the strong thrust he made and the weird feeling trying to push through faded away, leaving me to my peace.

Randy pulled out, again leaving me with no pain, and I turned to face him, asking jokingly, "Am I not enough to make you spill all over me?"

He chuckled calmly, not looking the least bit exhausted as he said with a giant grin, "Oh, I have my fun, but I don't squirt. Vampires don't need cum. They bite, not breed."

"Oh, that's so sick and weird and funny," I said, closing my eyes.

"John?" Randy asked, his voice sounding concerned.

_I opened my eyes and found myself in a dream. This time, I knew I was dreaming as I was experiencing it. I was in a dark room and Gabriel was standing just ahead of me with a hard look on his face. He told me darkly, "He was not meant to have you first, but I know that is what you wanted. Now that you have spent your time with him, you will spend time with me."_

"_And what if I don't want to?" I asked defiantly._

"_Don't ask a question you do not want to hear the answer to," Gabriel warned me._


	10. Chapter 10

10:

"John?" I heard Randy's voice echo through my head.

My eyes fluttered open. I saw the familiar ceiling of our hotel room and realized we were back where we started. I tried to sit up, but a throbbing migraine sent me back down again and I slammed my eyes shut in pain. I heard a chair slide closer to the bed, then I heard Randy ask, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just have a headache you wouldn't believe," I sighed with frustration.

The memories of being in the Jeep with Randy came crawling back into my mind despite the pain, and I began to wonder if I had dreamed the whole thing.

"Aren't we supposed to be at the arena?" I asked curiously.

"I talked to Vince. Everything's fine," Randy answered me, confirming that at least some of this morning did happen.

I opened my eyes and looked over at Randy. He was hanging his head and his expression was wrought with guilt. I asked, "What's wrong?"

His eyes locked with mine in the most remorseful way as he said, "I'm so sorry, John. If I had known this would happen to you after what we did, I..."

Randy looked away, confirming to me that the Jeep memories were real, but my dream state afterward had caused him to believe he had gone too far.

I chuckled lightly and told him, "Look, you fuck like nobody's business, but it wasn't you who knocked me out, stud."

He half-smiled like he enjoyed being called a stud, then he became serious again and asked, "So what happened?"

"Gabriel. He pulled me into a dream somehow. He was just trying to torment me because he knew that we had sex," I explained.

Randy got up and started for the door, saying to himself, "That little shit."

I sat up slowly and argued, "Where the hell are you going?"

"To talk some sense into that mutt," Randy replied, rushing out the door before I could stop him.

I tried to run after him, but by the time I got out the hallway, Randy was long gone. I whispered to myself, "Shit," and went back to the room to find some Tylenol for my head.

* * *

I knew that Randy would've wanted me to stay put, but I wasn't about to let him go without a fight. I swallowed some Tylenol, changed my clothes and called a taxi to get me to the arena.

The taxi driver was life-threateningly fast, and I made it to the arena in less than ten minutes. I remembered that Gabriel had talked about meeting up with Punk and Batista to practice, so I rushed out to the ring to find them.

I made it out to the ramp and stopped to look out at the ring. Punk was sitting at ringside watching carefully as Batista practiced in-ring with...Daniel Bryan?

I glanced around, but there was no sign of Gabriel. Punk caught sight of me and called out, "Hey, Johnny! Come over here and say hello!"

Batista shoved Bryan aside and turned to face me as I came close, shouting, "Where the hell is Gabriel?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I was coming out here to find him. I haven't seen him since this morning."

Batista glared at me and retorted loudly, "Well, if you see him, you tell him that I am gonna kick his ass for not coming out and practicing like he said he would!"

I was shocked that Gabriel had bailed on Batista, but I pretended not to be so I could counter Batista's comment with a sarcastic remark of my own, "Wait a minute, let me get a pen and write it down in case I forget."

"You little..." Batista started to climb out of the ring to get to me.

Punk stepped between us and said boldly, "Now, now, boys! There's no need to fight over a silly misunderstanding."

Batista got back into the ring but continued to glare at me until Bryan attempted a roundhouse kick and Batista had to set his sights elsewhere. Punk put his hand on my shoulder and asked me, "Do you know where Gabriel might be?"

"No clue. I came here to find him, though," I said.

"Let's find him together," Punk turned me around and we both walked back up the ramp.

As soon as we were backstage, Punk asked, "Did he tell you anything about getting some breakfast?"

"No, he didn't mention it," I replied.

Something inside of me squirmed. I couldn't tell if it had something to do with Punk, or if all this talk about food was making me hungry.

"Well, maybe we should check the cafeteria first. He might have gone there for a bite," Punk said, emphasizing the last word a little too much.

He continued to keep a tight grip on my shoulder and stayed in line with me, even as we maneuvered through the narrow hallways where it would've been easier if he were ahead of or behind me. After a short silence, Punk said with a sigh, "I suppose you are wondering what our friendship is going to be like now that you've been bitten by the enemy."

Punk spoke like we were talking about a simple inconvenience. I could never understand why he acted so nonchalant about the big things, and it made me uneasy about what it would be like to witness him when he did find something to be upset about.

"Um...I guess I hadn't really thought of it. I don't plan to help the werewolves, if that's what you're thinking," I assured Punk.

He gave me an awkward sideways glance, then he replied simply, "I didn't expect you to. Randal tells me that you were forced into your initiation rite, however, I think it would be wise if you didn't underestimate the power of connections between wolf mates."

"What do you mean?" I became confused.

Punk sighed like I should already know. We turned the corner and he explained without really answering me, "You're human so it'll be a gradual process, but soon enough, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about."

"Right. Thanks for the input," I rolled my eyes.

We were about to reach the cafeteria when Punk suddenly moved in front of me and blocked my path. He stared me straight in the eyes and stated seriously, "I could get rid of Gabriel for you, if you like."

His expression seemed eerily transparent, like he was not really there at all. I swallowed hard and replied, "Well, you can't really get rid of him because what you do to him affects me."

Punk quickly interjected to tell me, "No, no, no, no, you see, I have a way of getting rid of him that would cause no harm to you at all. You wouldn't feel a thing, Johnny. Not a thing. What do you say?"

He was practically shaking with anticipation for my answer. For a moment, I thought about saying yes, but then I reconsidered, knowing that the term 'getting rid of' never amounted to anything good.

"I'll think about it," I settled, much to Punk's chagrin.

He frowned and for a split second, his expression twisted into what I could only describe as the intent of pure evil, then it faded before I could really register it, and Punk returned to normal.

"Shall we go inside," he motioned for me to lead to way to the cafeteria.

"Yeah, sure," I walked uneasily ahead of him, feeling a wave of the dizziness that Randy had warned me about earlier.

We went inside, and I laid eyes on Randy arguing with Gabriel by the far corner. They both turned to face me and Gabriel smiled broadly, saying, "John, I am glad that you are here."

Randy gave him a hard look but Gabriel ignored it, walking over to greet me. The strange squirming I felt inside suddenly went away and I felt good again. Punk came around from behind me and blocked Gabriel from coming close. Randy flanked Gabriel's left side, but kept a short distance.

It looked very similar to military strategy when closing in on a target.

"I would like to speak with John," Gabriel nodded to me in an effort to get past Punk.

Punk stayed where he was, answering for me, "He's busily in conversation with me right now. You two can talk later."

"I do not have time for games," Gabriel tried to walk around Punk.

Punk blocked him again. I glanced at Randy, but his expression was blank. I watched as Punk stepped closer to Gabriel and seethed at him, "You're not wanted here."

I had never heard such hate filled words uttered by anyone in all my life. Gabriel stood his ground and remarked, "I understand your disdain for me. I am only here for John, and I mean you no disrespect. You know that my words are true because my pack are not here."

Punk sniffed with disgust at the mention of Gabriel's pack, then he remarked shortly, "The last time you were without your pack, you bit into John's thigh and made him your life-mate. As far as I'm concerned, you're a pretty little liar."

Without notice, Punk pulled out a yellow powder and blew it into Gabriel's eyes and face. Gabriel cried out and fell to his knees, furiously trying to rub the powder off. I caught a whiff of it, and I recognized the smell of the powder as wolfsbane, but there was something else to it I couldn't quite place.

Randy immediately looked at me and asked with concern, "John?"

I shook my head at him. I wasn't picking up on anything that Gabriel was feeling. Punk stared down at Gabriel with an emotionless expression and replied, "Interesting. I thought your eyes would be burned out by now."

"I'm immune to wolfsbane, you stupid fuck!" Gabriel spit back at him.

Punk glanced at Randy for confirmation and Randy nodded his head. Instinctively, I moved to help Gabriel, shouting angrily at Punk, "Why did you do that? He wasn't even threatening you!"

"I'm just proving a point," Punk stated, looking deliberately at Randy.

Gabriel had gotten most of the powder out of his eyes, but they were bloodshot and he was obviously suffering. I glared at Punk and told him, "You're an asshole. If you think I was friends with you before, you can bet your ass I'll have nothing to do with you now."

Punk shrugged like it was no big loss to him and replied simply, "Suit yourself."

* * *

Gabriel spent the next several hours washing his eyes out, but the damage had been done. He left back for the hotel early while Randy and I stayed for the scheduled house show. I felt awful the rest of the night, and the squirming feeling I had inside had started again and was continuing to get worse.

Randy drove us back to the hotel and ordered me some food while he lain on the bed and watched TV, but I was practically climbing the walls. He finally asked me, "What's the problem?"

"Did you not see what Punk did to Gabriel? That was completely messed up!" I blurted angrily.

"He was trying to show me something that he's been telling me for a while, something I didn't want to hear," Randy informed me.

I stopped and stared at him. He didn't elaborate, so I asked sarcastically, "Well, thanks for clearing that up."

He sat up straight and said to me, "Punk told me that Gabriel's connection to you would get stronger after he bit you. His connection was instant because he's a supernatural being, but since you're human, it takes longer for the effects to happen."

I tapped my foot to release some of my building frustration as I replied, "Yeah, you already told me this. You even showed me some of the different stuff when we were in the Jeep."

"It's not just that, John. It's your _attraction_ to Gabriel," Randy told me.

My defenses instantly went up and I argued, "You already know that I don't have feelings for Gabriel, that I was forced to be connected to him. There's no way I will ever have an attraction to him, and don't let that douche Punk tell you any different!"

Randy put his hands up in defeat, but told me straight, "It's not that simple, John. You may not feel an attraction to him now, but because of what he did to you, the connection will continue to build inside of you, and eventually, you won't be able to control your need to be with Gabriel sexually."

I started laughing. Randy stared at me until I finished, then I shook my head and replied, "I can't fucking believe this. You obviously trust me less than you trust Punk, because we wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise."

Randy's eyes widened with shock and he countered, "That's not what this is about."

"Really? Well then, you won't mind if I go and check on Gabriel alone then, would you?" I waited for him to argue.

He locked his jaw and I could see he was quietly fuming. He calmed himself and answered me, "I'll wait here until you come back."

I couldn't let him win. I said before I walked out the door, "I'm not sure I'll be back, what, with my sexual needs and all."

I gave the door a good slam and walked off to find Gabriel's room. It was late and there was no one around, but I was actually surprised that I made it to his door without once being interrupted. I couldn't even sense Randy following me.

With a short knock, I called through the door, "Justin? It's me."

It took him some time to get to the door. He opened it slowly and looked out at me. His eyes were still bloodshot and watery and there were black marks and scabs around his eyelids and cheeks. I came inside, asking him as soon as he closed the door again, "Does it still hurt?"

"Wolfsbane is a poisonous plant. Although I am immune to it as a werewolf, it is still a potent toxin and burns in any form," Gabriel replied.

I sat on the edge of the bed and he came to sit beside me. The TV was on and we both watched it idly in silence for a while. I noticed that Gabriel was still rubbing his eyes every other minute, sometimes scratching at his face, which was probably the reason for the black marks and scabs.

"So why didn't I feel it when your eyes were burned?" I asked curiously.

Gabriel shook his head and replied, "I must be honest, I do not know. I could smell something mixed with the wolfsbane powder, but I did not recognize the scent."

"I smelled it, too," I replied, and Gabriel looked up at me with moderate surprise.

I looked back at the TV as I explained, "Randy's been telling me a lot about werewolves. He basically tells me what's important for me to know since you bit me, like changes in my senses and all that."

Gabriel's expression went solemn and he replied, "I did not realize that Randy would care about such things to keep you informed."

I could see that it was hard for Gabriel to understand Randy's intentions. I added softly, "He knows a lot about werewolves. He's never talked about you the way that Punk did today."

Gabriel growled under his breath and replied, "Punk has hated werewolves since as long as he has been a vampire. His disdain is expected."

We were quiet again, then I looked at Gabriel and said seriously, "So, I can't fight this and win, can I?"

I assumed he would start arguing with me, but instead, he lowered his gaze and told me, "When I bit you, I already felt for you, and I believed it would be a simple process for you to feel the same. I did not realize my idiocy until now. I must tell you, John Cena, that I am deeply, deeply sorry for causing you such extensive pain."

His eyes watered and he wiped the tears away. I didn't think about it as I leaned into him and nuzzled the side of his head with my nose. He looked up at me and I instantly realized my mistake. I blushed deep red and looked away, saying quickly, "I shouldn't have done that, I mean, didn't mean to do that, I wasn't...shit..."

"You can relax, John, I understand," Gabriel said, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

We both stared at the TV in silence again. Gabriel's eyes started drooping after a while, and I helped him lean back so he could settle himself on the bed. I got up to leave, but Gabriel reached out to me, asking quietly, "Will you stay with me, John?"

"I should go..." I started.

"Please? I am not asking to take you tonight, I do not have the strength. I am simply asking for you to stay with me as my friend. I am nearly blind and I am afraid," Gabriel confessed.

He closed his eyes and waited patiently for me to make a decision. I felt guilty just leaving him, so I cursed in frustration and went back to the bed, lying down strategically so that I was close enough to Gabriel without it being a sign of intimacy.

He didn't say another word to me. I watched TV while Gabriel rolled over on his side and drifted off to sleep. His breathing sounded like panting as he slept, and his eyes moved rapidly behind their lids, like he was busily overseeing a dream.

Gabriel's position and breathing made him seem more like a dog than a person. Even his beard somewhat resembled Michael J Fox in Teen Wolf. I chuckled to myself and watched him while he slept, wondering if he knew what I was thinking about him right now.

I closed my eyes and listened to the low sound of the TV. I felt another presence in the room, but it was gone in an instant, and I knew Randy had come to check on me. I smiled, anticipating the thought that Randy would most likely appear in my dreams. It was only when I was almost asleep that I realized the squirming inside only seemed to fade away when I was near Gabriel.


	11. Chapter 11

11:

My eyes fluttered open. I found myself staring back at Gabriel, and I realized I was curled up next to him. He appeared to be still asleep, his frame covered in the soft glow of the sunlight coming in through the windows. I sat up and looked around, noticing how peaceful and comfortable everything was when compared to the past few weeks.

I tried to remember what I dreamed about, but I couldn't think of anything at all. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. For the first time in a while, I wasn't covered in sweat and hyperventilating from another nightmare.

The light looked so beautiful from the windows, I decided to get up and take a look outside. I did my best not to disturb Gabriel as I stood up and wandered over to watch the sunrise. As soon as I looked out, I took another deep sigh of relief.

A gorgeous purple and blue sky was pulling up the sun from the horizon. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I couldn't help whispering to myself, "The perfect start to a day."

I turned around and my smile fell.

Punk was holding Gabriel by his neck, with Gabriel's head twisted at an odd angle. I knew what he was going to do even before he did it, but I still reached out and cried, "Don't!"

Punk projected his fangs and plunged them deep into Gabriel's neck. The blood from Gabe's jugular sprayed everywhere like a broken fire hydrant.

I had never seen how much red a man could bleed.

I shot up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I made sure they were really open before I looked around, realizing instantly that Gabriel was gone.

"Justin?" I asked aloud, but he didn't answer me.

My eyes darted around the room until I fixed them on the bathroom door. It was slightly open and the bathroom light was on, but there was no sound coming from within it.

"Justin!" I shouted, darting across the room and through the bathroom door without another thought.

I heard the shower turn off and I stopped dead in my tracks. Gabriel pulled back the curtain and stepped out, his muscular body covered in warm droplets and completely exposed to me. He gave me a sideways glance with his still bloodshot eyes and asked, "Is something wrong?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I had never looked at Gabriel the way I was looking at him now. My insides felt like they were on fire and I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to be close to him. An even stronger, almost violent urge was rising up through my stomach, and although I was trying to fight all the feelings at once, they were winning.

"John, what is wrong?" Gabriel took a step closer to me.

The urges became more persistent. I couldn't stop myself from looking down at Gabriel's groin. His dick wasn't exactly huge, but I could easily tell from his fullness that, if he did end up fucking me, it was going to be a really tight squeeze.

"John," Gabriel took another step towards me.

I jumped back and hit the bathroom door. Gabriel stared at me like I was about to shed my skin, so I quickly tried to get my thoughts back in order, but the urges were making their way through my body, and I wasn't sure if I could stop them from overwhelming me.

"I had a bad dream and I thought something happened to you," I blurted out, sounding more like a five-year-old boy than a full grown man.

Gabriel grabbed a towel from the wall rack and started drying himself off as he replied, "I was watching over you through the night and you were not troubled. I assumed that a few minutes away from you would not change that, but obviously, I was wrong."

I could barely understand a word Gabriel was saying to me. My blood was rushing so fast through my body, I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears. I hadn't been this turned on since puberty. At the same time my body wanted some, my brain was struggling to stop me from getting some.

Gabriel wrapped the towel around himself and came closer, asking me quietly, "Are you certain you are alright?"

"I can't...I can't..." I tried to tell him, but the words kept mincing together.

Justin's eyes went wide as he realized what the problem was. He took a step back and asked me, "Is something wrong? Are you in pain? You do not appear aroused."

"I...I don't want this. Not now," I shook my head, stubbornly unwilling to admit defeat.

Gabriel looked away and I felt a spike of frustration stab through my chest. The feeling went away quickly and Gabriel locked eyes with me again, saying, "I will subdue your desires now, but they will continue to return until you relent."

"I get it, I get it, just make it stop for now," I pleaded.

Gabriel came close to me again and my body went wild. I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down with me until we were on our knees facing each other. He placed his hands over my pecs and held fast to me so I couldn't get any closer to him, but he leaned his head in and nuzzled the side of my face with deliberate affection.

I shuddered and the urges finally started to level off. Gabriel pressed his lips to my ear and told me quietly, "I am going to kiss you to calm your desires. You do not have to kiss me back."

"Okay...okay..." I tried to keep my focus on the urges.

Gabriel nuzzled me again, drawing a line from my ear across my cheek, then down to my lower jaw, tracing the square bottom of it until he reached my chin, then he drifted up to my lips and gently placed his over mine.

A part of me didn't want to kiss him. That part of me wanted to be with Randy at that moment, to feel Randy's lips connecting with mine, but that part was in conflict with the other part of me, the part that was developing a lust for Gabriel, the part that didn't mind Justin's beard tickling my chin and the part that was getting hard just by feeling his hands pressing against my chest.

He wasn't a bad kisser. Gabriel was softer than Randy with his lips, but more complex than Randy with his movements. Gabriel kept pulling slightly away and reforming his lips with mine every few seconds. It was an inconsistency that made me feel frustrated at first, but as I got more used to it, I began to realize that it reminded me a lot like when a dog licks a person in an affectionate way.

I moaned despite myself, feeling a surprising amount of pleasure from kissing Gabriel. He said I didn't have to kiss him back, but I found myself trying it out anyway, especially when I noticed that the urges were leveling off much faster the more I participated.

Gabriel's hands started moving down my chest. I hardly noticed where he was going until I felt his left hand reach into my boxers and he placed it firmly over the bite mark on my right hip.

I suddenly panicked and dug my nails into Gabriel's shoulders. He jerked and my nails made deep scratches into his skin.

As soon as I realized what I had done, I let go and said, "I'm sorry, Gabe-"

He lunged at me and pinned me to the floor on my stomach. He grabbed the back of my neck with his left hand and held me down. I tried to fight him off, but he was holding the part of my neck that had been surgically repaired, and I didn't want him to re-break it.

"Gabriel, let go, it hurts," I said calmly so he wouldn't react violently.

He leaned in and growled at me, and I knew that his human side wasn't listening anymore. I tried again, stating more boldly this time, "Justin, let me up. I can't move."

He didn't shift in the slightest. It was obvious that he was pissed, and I knew he would hate me for doing it, but I had no choice. I closed my eyes and put all my focus into one train of thought:

_Randy, I need you. NOW._

It was literally only a second before I felt a blast of air as the door burst open and Gabriel as lifted off of me. Randy slammed Gabriel's body into the tub, crushing the porcelain from the sheer force. I grabbed the back of my neck and looked up to see Randy in a pair of blue jeans with his fangs fully visible. He held violently to Gabriel's arms and spit at him, "What are you doing? What the hell are you doing? He is human, for fuck's sake! You can't use all of your fucking strength with him, not even half, you fucking moron!"

I watched as Randy smacked Gabriel in the face and continued to yell at him. I felt the slap itself, but Gabriel's expression made me think he felt it much worse. Randy continued to verbally assault Gabriel for several minutes until Gabriel shoved Randy off of him and Randy's elbow went through the wall. Randy pulled it out and arrogantly brushed himself off, saying acidly, "That all you got?"

"LEAVE!" Gabriel roared at Randy.

"Fuck this, I'm outta here too," I said, getting up.

Gabriel looked at me and his face fell. He became somber, returning almost to normal as he said softly, "You do not have to go, John."

I let out a short laugh and replied, "You know what? I think I should. Seems like, every time I get near you, really bad things happen to me."

"John," Gabriel started for me.

I put my hand up to stop him and said, "Don't, alright? Don't."

Randy followed me as I walked out to the room, then he waited as I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed my bag. Randy followed me out of the room and down the hallway, but I turned around to face him before I went to the main lobby, telling him, "I'm going to the arena alone. I'll see you later."

He looked like he wanted to argue with me, but he simply nodded. I turned around and put on my social mask, trying my best to look completely normal, despite the fact that my neck was killing me.

* * *

Once I got to the arena, I hit the cafeteria and stayed there for a few hours. When I decided it was time to get up, I went looking for Randy. I knew that he was somewhere taking a nap, but the arena was much larger than most and he could've been in one of about two hundred rooms.

Somehow, I just knew exactly where he was.

I casually made my way to the room that I sensed he was in. I didn't want anyone to notice me, and remarkably, no one did. I opened the door and peeked inside, finding Randy asleep inside the half circle of a huge skateboard ramp. The room was dark but I could make him out from the light coming in through the cracks of the boarded windows. I closed the door and locked it, then I turned to face him, and this time, his eyes were open.

There was a long minute where we just pondered each other, then Randy said thickly, "Hey."

"Hey," I replied, lowering my head as I wandered over to him.

I stopped beside the ramp and took off my shoes, then I removed my socks. Randy watched me as I opened my belt and unzipped my pants, dropping my jeans and boxers and before tugging off my shirt to expose myself to him. I stepped into the ramp and came over to him. He looked up at me as I halted next to him and turned to one side so he could get a good look at the bite mark on my hip. I asked him deliberately, "How bad does it look?"

He paused before he answered me quietly, "It looks like it's getting worse."

I couldn't even glance at it myself. I turned to face Randy and propped my hands on my waist, asking him, "My building need to be with Gabriel physically, it's not just about sex, is it?"

Randy's eyes never left mine as he shook his head slowly and said, "No."

"What happens if he fucks me?" I asked.

Randy answered me honestly, "Your mark will get better and heal over. The scars from Gabriel's teeth will be visible, but my mark will disappear. You'll feel better physically. Stronger, faster, nothing like the strength of a werewolf or a vampire, but more than you've ever had before. He'll probably take you to hunt with the pack and you'll be able to order them around if you want to because you'll be their second Alpha."

"That's why Punk wants to negotiate with me, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yes," Randy still kept his gaze with mine.

"What happens if I don't let Gabriel fuck me?" I demanded.

Randy shook his head and replied, "Punk says you'll probably die, but he's sure that you won't be able to hold back the desire for that long."

"What if you bite me again? Then what happens?" I asked seriously.

Randy blinked with surprise and said, "I don't know. I don't think anyone has ever tried that before."

"Then I want you to bite me again and we'll see what happens," I stated.

Randy sighed through his nose and told me, "I can't do that, John. Your body has been through hell and back the past few days. Any more trauma could possibly stop your heart."

I stared at him for a moment, then I asked, "Will you fuck me again, then?"

"I thought you were mad at me," Randy mentioned.

"Fuck that. All is forgiven," I said, putting one foot across so I could go down on my knees and straddle him.

I kissed him and he tasted like lime flavored alcohol. I pulled away and asked, "Have you been drinking?"

"I got bored this morning so I raided the mini bar at the hotel," he smiled, revealing his fangs.

I reached up and ran the tip of my index over the outline of each of his fangs. Randy blinked slowly and he took hold of my hand, pushing my finger into his mouth so he could glide the edge of one of his fangs along the length. He enveloped my finger with his tongue and quickly pulled it back out so it was still wet, then he leaned into me and said, "Want to put it in my ass?"

My face turned beet red, and Randy's blue-green eyes fixated on me like I was a fireworks show. He grabbed me and pulled me into him, kissing me more violently than before. His elevated strength aroused me to the point where I was starting to unconsciously thrust my hips to relieve the building tension. Randy let go of my lips and whispered into my ear, "I'm supposed to be riding you, cowboy."

"Sorry," I groaned, and Randy rolled me over on my back.

He opened his jeans and I pushed them down with my feet until he could easily kick them off. I tugged his shirt over his head so we were lying naked together, then he asked me, "You want to do this like last time, so you get the best out of it?"

"Let's do it this way, so I can look at you," I requested, and Randy nodded.

He reached around and grabbed me by my backside to prop me up, then he slipped inside of me as smoothly as he had the first time. There was something about feeling the length of his erection pressing up against the wall of my inner organs just behind my balls that made my entire body tingle with electric intensity. I shuddered underneath him and Randy became concerned, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It just feels really good," I told him.

He smiled and started thrusting slowly. His eyes darted across my body a thousand times with each thrust, as if he were observing every reaction, every muscle twitch, every drop of sweat forming, every detail of my entire body. I tried to watch him just as closely, but as he started thrusting faster, the friction inside was becoming more intense, and I let my head fall back as I closed my eyes and moaned for him to continue.

His abs were rubbing along the length of my erection as he made his thrusts. It was like masturbating against a washboard, the ripples of his muscles as tough as the metal they used to make those damn things. This kind of double-ended pleasure was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and the intensity of it was unimaginably good.

I could feel my climax coming, but there was something underneath it that was not as pleasurable. Randy began to thrust harder but kept his pace, and his change inspired ecstasy from even deeper within, but the ominous feeling underneath continued to rise until it was starting to become distracting.

"Randy," I moaned as the feeling became a dull pain.

"Does it hurt?" Randy eased his pace.

My climax started falling away, so I squeezed Randy's shoulders and told him, "No, don't slow down."

He easily returned to harder thrusts again, and the dull pain was starting to burn. It was more noticeable around my bite mark, so I took Randy's right wrist and placed his hand over the mark, telling him, "Squeeze it."

Randy held my hip and squeezed around the mark like I asked. A sharp pain went through my body and the pleasure inside tripled as I cried out with intense release. Randy made several more slow thrusts inside before he jerked forward and released himself, letting out a long groan like a wild animal.

He pulled out but stayed above me, watching me closely as he asked, "You alright?"

The ominous feeling was gone, but the dull pain inside remained, like a reminder that it had been there and it was real. I nodded and replied, "I couldn't be better."

I smiled and Randy chuckled, then he looked down at my mark and his expression became concerned again. I told him, "Don't stare at it like that. You're freaking me out."

"You screamed when I squeezed it. That's not a good sign," he mentioned.

"I don't want to talk about that right now, okay?" I said, losing my sense of calm.

Randy looked back up at me and replied, "Alright, I won't bring it up again, but you tell me if it bothers you."

I nodded and Randy stated more strongly, "I'm serious, John. You tell me right away."

I almost told him that I was having problems with it just a second ago, then I thought the better of it and replied simply, "Alright, I will."

He leaned in and kissed me, and we started making out together. The dull pain faded and I completely forgot about it, concentrating solely on Randy and his amazing tongue skills.


	12. Chapter 12

12:

Immediately after the show, I rode with Randy back to the hotel. I didn't want to talk to anyone or argue with Gabriel or whatever the hell else. I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with Randy Orton, and he was more than willing.

We undressed each other and fooled around and made out and experimented for hours. We weren't having sex, we were just...discovering each other. I started making up random things to do just to watch Randy pull them off without breaking a sweat. His vampire abilities were totally fascinating to me, and the more I asked him to do, the happier he looked doing them, like he reveled in the fact that someone thought this side of him was so interesting.

After a while, I started thinking of wrestling moves that could be put into sexual context. I tried Jericho's Lionsault, which made Randy laugh, then he tried his signature DDT but I landed on top of him instead of beside him, then I mentioned, "What about the Batista Bomb?"

"Oh, that one's easy," Randy rolled his eyes.

He was right. The Batista Bomb was basically picking up a guy so his crotch was directly in your face, but usually you'd slam the guy into the mat or through a table. I locked eyes with Randy and asked, "You think you could hold me up for longer than a few seconds?"

Randy half-smiled and pulled me to my feet. We stood by the wall and I bent down so that he could roll me up onto his shoulders. He did it with no problem, but once I was up, I instinctively thought that I was going to fall because this move had been done on me so many times.

"Randy," I started to object, but he turned toward the wall so that I could press my back up against it, and the feeling of falling subsided.

He licked underneath my shaft, and I let out a long moan. I held onto the back of his head and squeezed my thighs against his jaw as he continued to orally stimulate my most sensitive area. It was the most intriguing sexual position I had ever been in, and Randy was making the best of it, but that strange ominous feeling was trying to build underneath my sense of pleasure again.

"Randy, wait," I knew I had to say something.

He stopped and lowered me slowly back down until I was on my feet again. He analyzed me with his deep blue-green eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"All this experimenting is fun, but I'm just getting tired is all," I said, honestly feeling some exhaustion from our games.

Randy nodded and replied, "I understand. What do you want to do, then?"

I grabbed him and hoisted him up on my shoulders. Randy probably could've easily broken free, but he let me carry him to the bed and I gave him an Attitude Adjustment, throwing his body onto the mattress. He bounced on the bed and I laughed, leaning in so I could look at him as I waved my hand in front of my face and said jokingly, "You can't see me!"

Randy pushed on the bed with his hands and his body slowly levitated up to me. I was so astonished, I was totally caught off-guard when he suddenly wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me down into an RKO on the bed.

He let go and I lay there with my mouth gaping open. He laughed and asked wryly, "What's that look for?"

"That was just...AAWWWWEEESSSOOOOMMMEEE!" I imitated Miz.

Randy laughed out loud and I crawled over to him so I could greet him with my lips. We made out for a few more minutes, then Randy pulled away and asked more seriously, "What do you want to do now?"

I sighed and said, "I want you to tie my hands."

"Why?" Randy asked curiously.

"'Cause I like it," I smiled.

Randy pondered for a moment before replying, "I've got some handcuffs."

"No way!" my eyes widened.

He got up to dig through his bag, telling me, "I saved that pair we used at Breaking Point a couple of years ago."

I remembered that match well. My cheeks burned as I asked teasingly, "Did you by any chance keep the kendo stick, too?"

He gave me a sideways glance but his expression was unreadable. I couldn't tell if he were observing the blood rushing through my cheeks or if he were imagining what it would be like to tease me in bed with a kendo stick.

Randy pulled the key to the handcuffs out, which was still latched to a chain necklace, and he slipped it over his head like he had at Breaking Point. He took the handcuffs out and slowly made his way back to me, watching me with a predatory gaze. I held my wrists out as soon as he crawled into bed, then he cuffed me and I searched for a place to wrap around the long chain between the cuffs.

"I can't find a good spot," I huffed after searching the headboard.

Randy poked the middle of the headboard with his finger and easily produced a hole. He poked another hole a couple of inches above the first one to push it back through and said, "There's a spot."

"Perfect," I beamed, making Randy smile.

I put the chain through the makeshift holes, but I couldn't get it tight enough to feel like a restraint. I looked at Randy for help, and he gave the chain what looked like a quick tug, but I jerked forward and almost fell flat on my face. I looked at him with widened eyes and said, "Uh...thanks."

While he sorted the chain to stay in place, I asked him, "Will you tie down my ankles, too?"

Randy gave me a hard stare and replied, "No, John."

"What? Why?" I pouted.

"Because your safety is more important than your kinky little fantasy," Randy argued.

I narrowed my eyes at him and asked sarcastically, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you an evil-doer, Mr. Orton?"

He didn't play along with my joke, but answered seriously, "Let's just say you've been able to take more than my past exploits since I became a vampire, and I don't want to fuck that up."

I was taken aback. I asked him curiously, "Past exploits? Like other men?"

Randy secured the chain and locked eyes with me, telling me solemnly, "Just women. It was awkward and I couldn't hold my strength down enough. I kept bruising them and I made one of them bleed. I took her to the hospital and she was okay but I really freaked her out."

He breathed a heavy sigh of guilt, then he confessed to me, "I didn't ever try it with a guy before. I've never wanted another guy like I want you."

I blushed despite myself and quickly looked away. Randy came down to me and nuzzled the side of my face, electrifying my insides and turning me completely on. He came around behind me and pressed his erection against my backside, whispering to me, "How do you want it, John Cena?"

I groaned anxiously and told him, "Make love to me."

He chuckled and asked teasingly, "What's that like?"

I kicked my feet against the bed, knowing that he was purposefully stalling to make me want it more. I explained dryly, "It's long and slow so you can feel every moment of it, and then afterward I cry in your arms and you tell me you love me and we talk about one day getting married."

"How about just the long and slow fucking part and we'll skip the rest?" Randy stated.

I sighed with mock disappointment and replied, "Well yeah, I guess that would work."

Randy chuckled and I added pointedly, "I forgot to mention that you don't stop until I tell you to."

"Oh, so you're the boss, then?" Randy asked, running his fingertips down my sides.

"Don't kid yourself, I'm always the boss," I told him.

He laughed and started massaging my sides. I closed my eyes and let him continue, finding Randy's hands to be extremely skilled at finding the kinks in my body and working them out. He was careful not to go near the bite mark on my hip, and I was glad for that. His massage not only felt amazingly good, but it was very arousing, and I was more than ready when Randy finally slipped inside of me and moved in slow, deliberate thrusts like I asked for.

I groaned with pleasure and turned my head to one side, asking him, "How do you do that? How do you move so easily inside of me without a condom or lube or anything?"

"Just shut up and enjoy yourself, John," Randy ordered, and I did as I was told.

Randy's almost methodical way with sex was unlike anything I had felt before. He seemed to know exactly what to do, what to touch, what to taste, when to penetrate to give me the most powerful orgasms, and he was even good at making the feeling of coming linger long after it was over. He made my body react in ways that I didn't know it could. He made me feel things that I had only fantasized about. The odd thing was, when I looked into his eyes, I could see that I was somehow doing the same things for him, just not in the same way.

When I came, he didn't pull out. He just stayed in and massaged me again and nuzzled me and licked the sweat off of the back of my neck and my shoulders until I was ready again. He made the same slow thrusts and we both climaxed together the second time. Since his erection didn't go limp like a human male, he kept it inside and teased me again, running his hands and his lips and his tongue over my body until I was hard again.

As soon as the third orgasm hit, I knew I was done. I was exhausted but I felt blissfully peaceful. Even the ominous feeling had come and gone without me noticing it much, and I was truly happy.

Randy pulled out slowly and placed his hand over the bite mark on my right hip, asking me softly, "Could I massage you here?"

"Yeah, okay," I breathed.

He rubbed around the mark and the ominous feeling started to build again. Randy pressed down on the muscles of my hip and massaged more deeply, inspiring the ominous feeling to grow faster than it had before. It rose within me like a white hot flame and my body tensed as I said a little too loudly, "That's enough."

Randy immediately let go, but he rolled over on his side to face me and said, "It's getting worse, John."

"Please don't make me talk about this right now," I pleaded, trying to hold on to my euphoria.

Randy frowned but didn't argue with me. He unlatched the chain of my handcuffs and pulled them out of the hole, then he took the key from around his neck and unlocked the cuff on my right wrist. He reached for my left, but I pulled away from him and grabbed the cuff he had taken off, latching it on his right wrist so that we were cuffed together.

"Just like Breaking Point," Randy half-smiled.

"Yeah, but this time I won't let you quit," I pulled him into me and mashed my lips with his.

* * *

"John? John, wake up," Randy was shaking me.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He was already showered and dressed and he was gazing at me with a concerned expression. I asked, "What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare and I couldn't get in to find you. What were you dreaming about?" he asked.

I tried to recall from memory, but I was drawing a total blank. I answered Randy honestly, "I don't remember what I was dreaming about. I don't even remember falling asleep."

Randy gave me a sideways glance like he wasn't sure if I were telling the truth. I shrugged and asked, "What do you want me to say? I don't remember."

He walked away, but I could tell that he wasn't completely satisfied. I slowly sat up as Randy picked up a hotel menu and asked, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll order in."

I shrugged and answered, "I don't know, but I'm starving."

I looked at Randy and he had a concerned expression again. I asked him with some irritation, "What's with all the super-focus?"

"You just look pale. Do you feel sick?" Randy asked, still analyzing me intently with his eyes.

"No, I'm just really hungry. Order one of everything they've got, you can pay them with the cash in my bag," I said, getting up to head for the shower.

"John," Randy's tone made me stop dead in my tracks.

I turned to face him and I caught him staring down at my hip. I didn't want to look at the bite mark myself, but Randy's expression told me that I should. I quickly glanced at it and I could see that the skin around the bite mark and most of my hip was completely black.

"What the fuck?" I looked at Randy for answers.

"We need to talk to Gabriel," Randy said.

I shook my head and said, "No, I don't want to talk to him right now."

"John, there are toxins growing in that mark and if Gabriel doesn't do something about it, you're going to get very, very sick," Randy warned me.

"Fine, you go get him. I want to take a shower first," I said, starting to walk away.

Randy moved in the blink of an eye and blocked my path to the bathroom. He stared at me and told me deliberately, "This is serious, John."

"I know it is, but I don't want to stink like vampire sex when Gabriel walks in," I countered.

Randy's brow furrowed and he asked me, "Why are you acting like this?"

There was no avoiding him. I sighed heavily and told him, "I don't want to see Gabriel, alright?"

"I don't understand. He can help you," Randy protested.

Clenching my fists with frustration, I explained, "I know that, but the last time I was near him, Randy, I...I had almost no control. I wanted him like a bag of Doritos and you know from my past with Doritos that it's a serious desire."

Randy didn't laugh, so I confessed, "Look, he gets to me in a way that's different than what we have, but I love you and I don't want you to see me like that with him."

Randy's expression softened and I realized the magnitude of what I had said. He came close to me and put my head in his hands, saying quietly, "I can't imagine what you've been going through since all of this started, but I know that you're putting your body through so much, and I love you, too, which means I will not allow you to sacrifice your well-being for me."

His words hit me so hard, it brought tears to my eyes. I felt anger boiling up inside of me and I let it out, telling Randy exactly how I felt, "It hurts. It all hurts so bad and I can't get it out. I feel like I'm going to cheat on you and I'm not that kind of guy and I don't want it, Randy, I don't want it this way."

"I know, I know," Randy pulled me closer to him.

"I felt it yesterday, when I was with Gabriel. You were right, I won't be able to resist him, and I can't stand it," I went on.

Randy leaned into me and said, "I won't hold it against you, John. I know that it's what you have to do, and it's what a part of you wants to do, and I've come to terms with that. If you don't do the same, it'll eat you alive."

I could barely register what he was saying. I didn't want Gabriel. I never wanted Gabriel. This was just the effects of when he bit me...right?

Randy locked eyes with me and I could see that he already knew what I kept denying. I loved Randy, that was true, but I also had unresolved feelings for Gabriel, feelings that were merely amplified by Gabriel when he bit me, but that were already there in the first place.

Answering my question before I asked it, Randy told me, "Werewolves don't just bite random people. They sense the attraction in that person and they seek them out as a potential mate. I thought that Gabriel was trying to get to you because you were marked by destiny to be with a vampire. I didn't realize until it was too late that Gabriel was really after you because he sensed your feelings for him and you had the perfect blend of elements to be a co-Alpha. I knew I couldn't tell you the truth until you were ready to hear it."

It was almost too much to take in. I launched into a fit of fury, shouting, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

I picked up every chair in the room and smashed it. I broke the table against the wall. I kicked in the dresser. Randy just stood by and watched me take out my frustrations on the hotel room he had paid for. I didn't care, though. I was so...fucking...angry.

I punched the full length mirror against the wall and I stopped when I saw blood on my knuckle. Randy came over to me and lifted my fist to his lips, licking the blood off in one long taste. He swallowed slowly and groaned with intense pleasure. I leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss, tasting my own blood on his lips, then I pulled away and said, "Let me have the day to work this out in my head, then we'll both go and talk to Gabriel."

Randy nodded and replied, "I think that's a good idea."

* * *

We drove to the next arena mostly in silence. Randy pulled over so we could make out a couple of times, but we both knew what was going to happen when I encountered Gabriel again, and whenever I looked at Randy, no matter how much he tried to persuade me otherwise, all I felt was guilt.

I dressed out in the locker room ahead of everyone else and kept to myself. I was out to the ring when my theme played, I fought an entertaining match with The Miz, then I went backstage and made a beeline for the locker room so I could get back into my street clothes.

Putting on jeans and a t-shirt and lacing up my shoes took a disappointingly short amount of time. I grabbed my bag and I noticed my cell phone was lit up that I had a voicemail. I pressed to listen to it, and surprisingly, the voice of Maryse came on as she said in her slight French accent, "I am having car trouble, John. Will you come and help me?"

She gave me directions and hung up. With all my avoidance in the last few hours, I hadn't even realized that Maryse wasn't around. She didn't usually call me, but I was the go-to guy when it came to cars, so I quickly sprang to my feet and took off for the back exit, pressing the redial button to call Maryse back.

"John, you did not come to get me!" Maryse yelled as soon as she picked up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get your call until just now. Do you still need help?" I asked.

"Yes. I call a tow truck but he has not come yet. Please hurry," she answered.

"I'll be right there," I hung up and went out to the parking lot.

Randy had brought me to the arena, but I knew that several of the wrestlers had spare keys in strategic places. I took Morrison's car and texted him that I would be borrowing it for a while before I left the parking lot to find Maryse.

Her directions were pretty simple, and I was a good navigator, so it only took me a half hour to find her location. I saw her black Mercedes parked at the side of the road with a flat tire and I stopped a short distance away to give room to the tow truck guy. She saw me in her rear-view mirror and got out wave me closer. She gave me a quick hug and said, "I am so glad you are here."

I breathed in and caught her scent, which smelled like something familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I let her go and checked out her tire, saying, "It looks shredded. What did you run over?"

"A wolf," she said.

I looked at her curiously and her lips twisted into a sinister smile. I suddenly realized that her scent was the same that I had smelled on Gabriel and Barrett, but I had never noticed before until now.

It was the scent of werewolves.

Something cold hit the back of my head, and I was out.

* * *

I woke up jostling and I knew immediately that I was in an off-road vehicle. I looked around and saw that it was pitch black outside the windows, meaning that we were outside of town. I caught the shadows of trees and determined from the uneven road that we were going through a forest.

I sat up and found myself surrounded by an iron cage. I was in the trunk of the vehicle, but the front was not separated and I could see exactly who was driving. Barrett was at the wheel, while Slater was sitting in the passenger's seat and I could make out from Barrett's headlights that another car was ahead of us. I assumed Maryse was in it, probably with other members of the wolf pack.

"Glad to see you're awake, Cena," Barrett said sarcastically.

Slater ran his hands through his hair and shouted at Barrett, "I'm sorry, Wade! I've never tried to hit somebody over the head before!"

"Yeah, well, he coulda been out a lo' longer," Barrett retorted, then he glanced back at me through the rear-view mirror.

"What is this? What's going on?" I asked, although I was already pretty sure of the answer.

Barrett snorted laughter and replied, "What do you think, Cena? You think we wan' your little arse to be our Alpha with Gabriel? No fuckin' way."

Slater looked back at me sympathetically and I asked him, "You're in on this, too? I didn't even think you were a werewolf!"

"Newly commissioned," Slater nodded, glancing at Barrett.

"So, what? Are you gonna kill me? That means Gabriel's dead, too," I stated.

"There are worse things than death," Barrett informed me darkly.

Slater swallowed hard and I could tell he wasn't fully on board. I tried to use it to my advantage, explaining pointedly, "Whatever you do to me, Gabriel will feel it. Besides, I'm supposed to be your Alpha with him. Doesn't that mean I get a say in what happens to me?"

Slater looked at Barrett curiously. Barrett scoffed at me and replied, "You obviously don't know your wolf facts, Cena."

I became confused and he explained shortly, "You only become rightful Alpha _after_ Gabriel splits your arse with a deep-dog fuck. It's the same as a king poppin' his virgin wife so she's rightfully queen. We take our consummation ceremonies very seriously, even if it's lad-to-lad."

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I had stalled on letting Gabriel have me, and in the process, I had unintentionally made myself the easiest target for anyone who would oppose my connection to him.

"You're doing this to me because you want Gabriel to be with you," I called Barrett out.

Slater swallowed hard again and I knew what I said was true. Barrett glared at me through his rear-view mirror but let nothing show, telling me deliberately, "It's no matter, Cena. You're not in favor an' tha' means your time is over."

I wasn't about to let that happen.

I looked for the door of the cage and started kicking it as hard as I could around the lock and the handle. The latch to the trunk of the vehicle was just a few inches away from the cage door, and if I could break open the cage, I could hit the latch and get out.

Barrett laughed as I tried to fight my way out, informing me like I was an arrogant child throwing a tantrum, "Tha' cage is made to withstand werewolves, Cena. There's no way you're getting through it."

I cried out with frustration and kicked the cage again, but it hadn't even budged. Barrett laughed heartily and kept driving while Slater cowered in his seat. Unwilling to give up, I searched around the floor of the trunk and caught sight of a safety pin just past the bars. I reached through and grabbed it, then I opened it and started working with the lock.

"Given up already, Cena?" Barrett mocked me.

"I'm going to stop you, Wade, you just wait," I tried to distract him so he didn't catch on to what I was doing.

He laughed at me and said something to Slater in a low tone. I managed to pick the lock and it popped open. I carefully took it off of the handle and paused for a second to take in a deep breath.

Then, I lifted the handle opened the cage door as far as it would go, and hit the latch on the trunk.

"CENA!" Barrett yelled as I leaped out of the back of the vehicle while it was still moving.

I used my wrestling training and tucked myself in so I would roll when I hit the ground. The floor of the forest was softer than I thought it would be, and I managed not to break any bones as I rolled a few times to slow my momentum, then I sprang to my feet and took off running.

I heard Barrett slam on the breaks, and I knew he'd be coming for me. The further I got from his headlights, the harder it was to see in the darkness. I put my hands out in front of me and kept running, thinking that anything solid would hit my hands before it hit my body and I could maneuver around it.

Several minutes later, I stopped running and turned back. I could barely see Barrett's vehicle in the distance, but I hadn't heard him or anyone else chasing after me. I wondered if maybe they had let me go, knowing that I wouldn't get very far.

I felt someone take hold of me and I instinctively fought back. I could tell from his grip that it was Barrett, and I shoved him away from me, then I tried to do a roundhouse kick to his stomach, but he was too fast, and he easily avoided my kick.

I sensed him behind me, then I felt a swift kick to my lower back. I went through the air and hit the ground hard, bruising my left elbow. Barrett turned on a flashlight and shined it in my eyes. I put my hand up to shield myself as Barrett started coming for me.

"Whatever you do, Wade, know that Gabriel will never forgive you," I stated.

He stopped and stared at me, then he said as if he had already thought it through, "He will in time."

I could see in Barrett's eyes that there was no hope left for me. I braced myself as he started for me again, determined to go down with a fight.

A low growl came from nearby. Barrett straightened up and I saw nothing but fear in his eyes as he turned around slowly. He had the flashlight down at an angle, but I could see well enough to notice an oversized gray wolf crouched in an attack position a few feet away, its brown eyes focused solely on Barrett.

"Justin," Barrett whispered.

Gabriel lunged at Barrett and I rolled out of the way. I heard Barrett cry out in pain and he let go of the flashlight as they both tumbled into the darkness of the forest. I grabbed the flashlight and took off running again, feeling nothing but the need to survive.

The flashlight made it easier to navigate. I ignored the cries of pain from Barrett and kept running. I knew I would have to keep going, if I just kept weaving through the trees, I would be able to-

I fell through a trapdoor in the ground and slid down a muddy shaft. The flashlight came down with me, shining light on a makeshift tunnel. It was quite a distance before I landed in the soft ground of a cavern. The flashlight landed next to me and I could see that the cavern was made of solid dirt and was a good ten feet across and six feet high. There were two large holes on one side that were probably tunnels to other caverns, but I had no plans to try and go through them.

I got up and grabbed the flashlight, then I tried to climb back up through the shaft that I had come from, but the angle of it and the mud made it impossible for me to gain my footing, and I kept sliding back into the cavern.

Each attempt was futile, but I tried and tried and tried and tried again until my feet couldn't hold me anymore. I collapsed inside the cavern and tried to catch my breath. I rested for a while, then I felt a sense of warmth inside and I knew that Gabriel had found me.

He came through one of the tunnels of the cavern. He rose up on his hind legs, and I was taken aback by the dominance and respect he carried in werewolf form. I thought to myself that it was odd he was changed when it wasn't a full moon, and I got an answer in my head almost as soon as I made the thought that Gabriel was Alpha, so he could change whenever he wanted to.

His body started to shift and the gray fur peeled away from his body. I smelled burning flesh as Gabriel's wolf skin steamed and seared and melted off of him, then his human self came out from underneath, crying out in agonizing pain.

The wolf that Gabriel once was melted into the ground and faded like it was never there. Gabriel stood before me human again, completely naked and caked in sweat. His teeth had stayed sharp and his long canines were easily visible, but I knew he wasn't a threat to me. His soft brown eyes focused on me so intensely, it felt to me like I was staring into the sun. My whole body lit up like a wildfire and the ominous feeling rose up as if it had been deliberately summoned.

I suddenly realized what the ominous feeling was. It was my need to be with Gabriel, and because I had continued to ignore it, the feeling had become twisted and dark and venomous. Now that I knew the truth, I knew what I had to do to make the ominous feeling disappear forever.

Gabriel came down on all fours and pressed his lips to mine. He tasted like something sweet and I wanted more of it. I felt like I had kissed him a hundred times before he pulled away and began nuzzling me affectionately.

He grazed his long canines across my skin, nibbling me but never quite taking a bite. We were in a state of play at first, exploring each other and testing boundaries, then Gabriel tore away my clothes and licked the bite mark on my hip, and I moaned longingly.

I got up on my knees and he grabbed my inner thighs, roughly dragging me toward him. Gabriel spit into his hand and rubbed himself wet, then he pushed his way inside of me.

It wasn't smooth and painless. It wasn't a nice cool down after a long day. It wasn't anything like being with Randy.

Gabriel was strong and rough. I felt moderate pain when he first came in as I struggled to conform to his width. Even as I relaxed against his thrusts, I still felt some pain. His skin burned hot when he touched me. We were both covered in dirt and mud and sweat, and we fucked hard and fast like a couple of animals.

And it felt _so damn good_.


	13. Chapter 13

13:

_I was walking down the hallway of a nice hotel. The rooms were indistinguishable from each other, but I seemed to be on a mission to find a certain one. I felt deep inside that it was important for me to know something, but I couldn't quite place what it was. _

_My senses were being driven by an instinct I never knew I had. The mission seemed pointless, the rooms all the same, any other person would just give up and leave, but I knew I had to keep going. There was something that I needed to see. Where was it? Where was it..._

_I could hear the faint sound of voices coming from a room nearby. I cautiously walked up to the door, finding it slightly open, and I peeked inside, seeing Punk standing in the middle of the room with Barrett next to him on his knees. _

"_You've failed me again, Wade," Punk sighed morosely at Barrett, as if showing emotions were too much trouble. _

_Barrett looked up at Punk and begged, "Please, Mr. Brooks, give me time! I'll remedy the situation, I'll get Cena back in your good graces! If Cena gets enough backlash from the wolves, he'll come crawlin' back to you!"_

_I was more surprised that Barrett used Punk's real last name than what was revealed in his words. Punk groaned with disdain, then he leaned down and stated acidly at Barrett, "Harassing Cena seems a little pointless now that Gabriel's already fucked him!"_

_Barrett stared at Punk with a horrified expression. Punk straightened himself and added passively, "I'll just have to come up with a plan to separate them in another way. Shouldn't be too hard, considering that Cena will undoubtedly choose Orton over Gabriel any day."_

"_What are you goin' to do?" Barrett asked, his voice trembling._

_Punk turned away from him and replied shortly, "I'm not telling you because I don't think I can trust you anymore, Dog."_

_Barrett started to get up, asking, "You won't hurt Gabriel, will you? If you hurt him, you hurt Cena."_

_Punk turned back and wagged his finger at Barrett as he told him, "You should stay on your knees. I haven't eaten yet and I'm so angry with you that I might just do something very stupid."_

_Barrett quickly got back down on his knees. Punk closed his eyes and made a deep sigh, then he just stood there, pondering. I was about to move away from the door when it suddenly burst open and Batista reached out to grab me, shouting at Punk, "He's here!"_

My eyes shot open and I gasped for breath. I tried to get up in a sudden panic, but I was surprisingly met by Randy's tattooed embrace. He helped me to sit up more slowly, saying, "Hey, now, not so fast."

"How'd you find me? Where's Gabriel?" I asked, confused.

"Gabriel had some problems to take care of. He asked me to get you out of here and cleaned up," Randy answered.

I groaned, feeling a dull pain all over my body. I looked down and realized I was still naked and dirty, and there were some obvious bruises on my inner thighs where Gabriel had grabbed me several times last night. I glanced at the bite mark on my thigh, but it was no longer black. In fact, it was barely visible anymore. Randy asked me with a concerned expression, "Are you alright? Are you in pain?"

I knew he was actually asking me if Gabriel had been too rough with me last night. I answered honestly, "I'm just a little stiff from sleeping on the ground is all."

Randy frowned like he didn't quite believe me, but he helped me to my feet without argument. I sighed and told him, "I'm actually surprised you're here."

"What do you mean?" Randy asked.

"I know you said you were cool, but frankly, I thought if you saw me like this, you wouldn't want to see me again," I answered.

Randy cracked a half-smile and said, "You don't have much faith in me, do you?"

"That's not how I meant it," I started.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Randy finished.

I glanced around and the shaft that I came in from had sunlight coming through it that helped to light up the cavern, but it was still too muddy to climb up. I looked over at the small tunnels that seemed to be the only way out of the cavern and said, "I really don't wanna try crawling through those things to get out of here."

Looking up through the shaft, Randy mentioned, "I could fly us out of here."

"Well, then, let's go," I said excitedly.

Randy gave me a hard look and replied, "If we fly, you'll have to keep your eyes closed. I don't want to risk you seeing my wings."

"What? Come on, Randy, now who doesn't have faith!" I argued.

"John, I already told you, my wings are meant to frighten humans into a state of shock so I can easily kill them! I won't do that to you."

I put my hands on my hips and countered angrily, "You've known me for almost a decade, and you know that I can take more than most people, so why won't you let me judge for myself how _shocking _your fucking wings might be!"

Randy locked his jaw and we stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, then he finally relented and said, "Fine."

He pulled off his t-shirt and basically threw it at me. I snorted a gruff thank you and put it on to cover myself, then I watched as Randy turned his back on me and two long slits began developing between his shoulder blades.

The slits spread open and I heard a noise like bones cracking. Randy grunted in pain as his wings began to come out from the slits. The wings smelled like sulfur and something metallic, maybe Copper or Nickel, and their texture was like thin, leathery skin. They came out slowly at first, then picked up speed toward the end, almost like a cicada insect molting out of its shell. His wings spread at full length, and I couldn't help noticing how much they resembled a bat.

He turned to face me and I was struck by how different he looked. Randy's body appeared to be made of stone, his eyes appearing lifeless like the gaze of Death himself. It was like I was no longer looking at the man named Randy Orton, but some kind of a creature hybrid of a man I once knew but who no longer existed because the creature had eaten what was left of his soul.

"John?" Randy immediately became concerned.

I struggled to say something meaningful in such an epic moment, but all that came out was, "Cool."

"Cool? You mean, you're not scared?" Randy asked with a mix of surprise and confusion.

I came closer and reached out to touch the edge of the wings. They flinched at my touch and Randy took a big step back, telling me, "I don't know if you should do that."

"Why? Do your wings have fangs too?" I joked.

Randy was still completely confused. He stared at me, asking almost to himself, "Why aren't you in shock right now?"

I was getting tired of his need to be right, so I blurted, "Maybe your bat-wing-shock-factor doesn't work on me because I'm marked as your destined lover!"

Randy nodded and replied, "You could be right."

I let out a frustrated sigh and asked impatiently, "Could we just go, please?"

"Come here," Randy reached out to me.

I came closer and he pulled me into him. He reached down and gave my ass a good squeeze, then he breathed me in and told me morosely, "You smell like burned flesh and wet dog."

"Oh sorry, let me just get my cologne-" I started to joke, but Randy suddenly took off without warning.

We shot out of the shaft at blinding speed, reaching the open air above the trees faster than I had anticipated. I clutched Randy with an iron grip and shrieked, "RANDYOHMYFUCKINGGOD!"

"Relax, John," Randy chuckled.

"No, you don't understand...I...I..." my stomach turned over and I felt too sick to tell Randy I was deathly afraid of heights.

Randy held fast to me and whispered into my ear, "Close your eyes, John. Don't think about it."

"That's easy for you to say, you've got pants on," I grumbled, locking my legs around his hips so the freezing down stream of the wind would quit blowing through my ass crack.

Randy gripped me even tighter and I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the sound of his wings flapping, imagining that it were a sail flapping in the wind. That calmed my nerves long enough to distract me until Randy dropped down and made an abrupt landing. My eyes shot open and my stomach lurched, but I didn't throw up all over us, so I considered that an achievement.

Randy let me down and I looked around, asking, "Did anyone see us?"

We were standing just outside of a highway motel. There were hills surrounding us but I figured we were just a few miles from the nearest city. Randy shook his head at me and pulled out a key from his pocket to unlock one of the motel room doors, saying over his shoulder, "I wouldn't have landed if someone were watching."

I followed him into the room. Randy's wings folded up and receded back into the slits between his shoulder blades as he closed the door and locked it. The slits themselves healed instantly and it was like they were never there.

Randy turned back to face me and his expression softened. I figured I probably looked totally distraught because I felt that way inside. He asked me softly, "You alright, John?"

I laughed awkwardly and replied, "Yeah, uh...I think I'm gonna take a shower now. I really stink."

I rushed into the bathroom and closed the door before Randy could say anything. I stood in the shower and let the warm water rush over me, washing away the dirt that I had gathered from rolling around with Gabriel, rinsing off the dried spots of blood that had splattered onto me when I scratched my fingernails across Gabriel's back, wiping clean the dried spit on the back of my legs that had dripped off of Gabriel's erection each time he entered me.

"Oh shit," I whispered to myself.

I couldn't remember the exact count, but Gabriel and I had done it more than twice. I was surprised I was actually still standing, but I remembered that he had eased up after the first time and the more we tried, the more he balanced his strength out for me.

Tears formed in my eyes and I suddenly felt deeply ashamed. I had just spent last night fucking probably a dozen times with a werewolf I had an overwhelming need to be with, while Randy probably came back to the locker room looking for me after his match, then he probably went searching for me in a panic when he realized I was missing, and he eventually finds me all naked and roughed up and stained with Gabriel's blood and cum and saliva, and he still has the decency to help me to my feet and fly me back to civilization.

"Oh my God," I groaned as the full realization of everything hit me at once.

I tried to wash away the tears, but they kept coming. I wasn't sure if it was just from the shame I felt or from a combination of that and all the other shit that had been going on the past few weeks, but I couldn't stop myself, so I just cried as silently as possible so as not to alert Randy.

After a few minutes, I heard the bathroom door open and I tried to regroup myself. Randy quietly told me from the other side of the shower curtain, "I just brought you a change of clothes."

"Oh. Thanks," I replied.

There was a pause, then Randy asked thickly, "Would you like some company?"

My cheeks grew hot and I stared at the silhouette of Randy through the shower curtain. I wanted so badly to tell him yes, but the weight of everything was too strong. I had to deal with it before I could really focus on Randy.

"I want to, but uh...I think I need some time alone, if that's alright," I said.

Randy replied kindly, "Take all the time you need," then he closed the door and left me.

* * *

As soon as I was dressed, Randy took me in his Jeep to the next arena. I was astonished that the Jeep was in one piece again, fully detailed and looking better than ever. When I asked him how he did it, Randy just answered simply, "I know a guy."

He stopped to get me some fast food, and I ordered three times as much as usual. I inhaled most of it all the way to the arena, and Randy waited with me in the parking lot while I finished. I bit into my last cheeseburger and let out a loud moan, saying, "Oh my God! This cheeseburger is the best I've ever had!"

Randy raised his eyebrow and said, "Yeah, I can see that. You two need a room?"

I laughed and took another huge bite. I saw the side door to the arena open and I glanced past Randy to see who was coming out. I straightened up as soon as I saw that it was Batista, suddenly remembering my nightmare about him that morning, and I stopped chewing when I realized he was coming toward us.

Randy saw my reaction but didn't ask me what was wrong because Batista was too close. He simply leaned back and picked nonchalantly at the steering wheel until Batista leaned into his window and said, "Hey, man."

Randy nodded back at him and they bumped fists. Batista went on without acknowledging I was there, telling Randy, "So Vince wants us to start a rivalry based on our time with Evolution. We're gonna have a match tonight and if the fans respond to it, we'll do some pay-per-views with the same gig."

"Evolution was years ago, though," Randy pointed out.

Batista smiled and replied, "That's why we gotta come up with something good."

"How does it start?" Randy asked curiously.

I watched Batista closely as he explained without once looking my way, "I'm gonna come out tonight and give a ten-minute rant about how I'm the biggest and the best and my whole thing with Cena before I quit was some setup by Vince to get me to leave, but I've found a loophole to get back in and I'm never leaving and all that shit. Then you interrupt me and come out to tell me that you think I'm full of shit and during our time with Evolution, I caused you some issues that basically held you back and you didn't bring it up for some good reason, but now you're pissed and it's on."

"So I'm just coming up with the reason, then?" Randy asked.

"Yeah, basically, but Vince wants it to be a really good one 'cause we're the main event tonight," Batista answered.

"What?" I blurted without thinking.

Batista finally looked at me. He sported an arrogant grin and replied, "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Cena. You've got a match with Punk right before ours."

My eyes widened and I asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me I had a match with Punk?"

"I don't know, Cena, maybe you should check your cell phone," Batista retorted.

I realized I had left my cell phone in Morrison's car when I got out to help Maryse and I hadn't seen it since, let alone checked it. I didn't dare look at Randy for answers because I knew that Batista was closely watching my expression, so I simply shrugged and replied, "Yeah, well, I'll just talk to Vince."

Batista wasn't finished mocking me. He chuckled dryly and said, "By the way, you're losing to Punk tonight. Vince's orders."

I gave Batista a surprised expression, and he used it to his advantage by rudely adding, "Can't win 'em all, Cena. If you can't remember what losing is like, just think of that time I broke your neck."

Randy gave Batista the Viper's stare and told him darkly, "Don't talk to him like that."

Batista snorted laughter and pointed at me as he argued with Randy, "What am I saying that isn't true? Besides, if he's gonna be a little pussy about not main eventing and losing his fucking match, then-"

In the blink of an eye, Randy broke off the gear shift of the Jeep and stabbed it through Batista's throat, cutting him off mid-speech.

Blood gushed out everywhere and Batista stumbled back in surprise. He tried to cry out but all that came out of his mouth was more blood. I sat there, dumbfounded, while Randy just stared straight ahead like Batista wasn't even there.

Batista grabbed the gear shift in his neck and struggled to pull it out. Blood was still gushing as it tore free of the tendons in his throat, then Batista dropped the gear shift and took off in a blur, disappearing from the arena.

Randy calmly opened the door of the Jeep, stepped out, and picked up his gear shift. He licked the blood off of it and tossed it onto the backseat of the Jeep, then he headed for the back exit like nothing happened. I got out and rushed after him, shouting, "What the hell did you just do?"

"He was being an asshole," Randy stated.

"Yeah, but...he's like, your father or sire or whatever," I pointed out.

"That doesn't mean he gets to be a dick," Randy replied.

I could barely register the situation. I looked back at the blood all over the parking lot and asked, "Aren't people going to notice?"

"It'll be gone in a few minutes. Vampire blood burns clean away in sunlight," Randy informed me.

I was still totally confused. I mumbled as we entered the arena, "I didn't think you could just do something like that to Batista and get away with it."

Randy stopped and turned to face me. His eyes locked with mine and said in a stone voice, "He was talking about breaking your neck like it was a fucking weather update. I don't care about consequences. I won't stand for that shit."

"Thank you," I blurted.

Randy blinked and softened his gaze, asking, "For what?"

"For not being ashamed of me in front of other vampires," I said.

Randy became serious again and replied, "You're _my_ John. They are the ones who should be ashamed to stand in front of you."

I took a step closer and leaned in to kiss him, but Randy grabbed my elbows and inched me away. I was confused at first, then I heard the voices of other wrestlers and Divas coming near, and I understood. I backed off and lowered my gaze, but Randy put his arm around me and led me down the hallway, leaning in to whisper, "To be continued."

I looked back up at him and smiled.

* * *

My match with Punk wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He didn't even try to crush my skull with the Go To Sleep finisher, and I wasn't limping or trying to keep my kidney in place as I walked backstage again.

Randy was waiting just behind the tron, and Batista was there as well. I glanced at Batista to assess if he was still damaged, but it looked like he was completely healed. He didn't turn to face me and his entrance theme started playing, so he quickly walked out. I was going to stop and talk to Randy, but there were other people and wrestlers around, so I nodded at him that I would see him later and he confirmed it with a nod of his own.

I went back to the locker room to shower and change back into my street clothes. There were a few other wrestlers around, but soon I found myself alone as I sat down and laced up my sneakers. I heard someone come in and I looked up just as Gabriel greeted me with a wide and toothy grin.

An unexpected wave of calm washed over me at the sight of him, and I couldn't help smiling myself as I said brightly, "Hey."

He sat down beside me on the bench and I felt a slight twinge of fear just underneath my sense of calm. I immediately asked him, "Is something wrong?"

Gabriel's smile faded and he told me more seriously, "I just want you to know that I am very sorry for the way the others reacted to you last night. They have all received due punishment and I can assure you it will never happen again."

I didn't want to ask, but I had to know, "What were they planning to do with me?"

Gabriel looked away and said, "They planned to carry out the ritual of Barak-Breaking. It is an idea that a werewolf may contest the chosen mate of another werewolf if the mate has not yet been sexually bonded. It is believed that, in a fight to the death, if the werewolf that has made the contest wins, he would be the new chosen mate."

"You said it's an idea. Does that mean it doesn't always work?" I asked.

Gabriel nodded and replied, "It is rare that Barak-Breaking is successful. It has also never been done between a werewolf and a human, but I would assume it is even less likely to work that way. It would also mean that you would have to die to allow Wade to take your place."

I remembered my nightmare again and I changed the subject, asking, "Where is Barrett, anyway?"

Gabriel looked at me and I felt the twinge of fear again. He remarked quietly, "I punished Wade harder than the rest because of his desire to kill you. He left and I have not seen him since the early hours of morning. He was scheduled to compete in a house show for Smackdown, but Theodore Long informed me that Wade called claiming he would be late and he never appeared. He may be upset, but Wade never misses a chance to fight."

"I think I need to tell you something," I said.

Gabriel leaned in to listen intently and I explained, "I had a nightmare this morning about Wade and Punk and-"

I felt something sharp hit the back of my head. Gabriel sprang to his feet and took on an attack stance, running past me. I stumbled to the floor and closed my eyes, feeling an overwhelming need to sleep.

"...BATISTA!" I heard Gabriel yell, then I heard a horrifying scream, but before I could determine whose it was, everything went black.


	14. Chapter 14

14:

"John? John, are you alright?" I heard Randy say.

His voice sounded oddly distant. My body felt heavy, and it was difficult to open my eyes, again. I was on the floor of a hallway...a concrete floor...probably an arena. I couldn't remember how I had gotten here.

I looked up and saw Randy on his knees beside me. He was cradling my neck with his hands, and I asked curiously, "What happened? Did I get hurt during a match or something?"

Randy's eyes widened like I had said something startling. He quickly regrouped and told me calmly, "You have a concussion. Batista hit you over the head and-"

"Batista is back? How come nobody told me?" I was excited to see him, again.

Randy's expression went back to shock. I didn't know which one of us was more confused, but it seemed like I was saying all the wrong things. I tried to sit up so I could look at him a little better, but Randy stated, "Don't move, John. Your neck is broken. I had to give you some of my blood to heal it, but it has to take some time."

"Your blood? What are you talking about?" I was totally confused.

"...you don't remember," Randy whispered, mostly to himself.

"Randy, what the hell is going on? What happened to me?" The confusion was giving rise to panic.

He told me calmly, "Just stay where you are, John. I'll explain everything, later."

"But my neck, is it-" I started.

I could hear someone coming down the hallway. It was Gabriel; I knew because of his accent when he addressed Randy. He went to the other side of me, out of my line of vision, and set something down on the floor. I recognized it as a stretcher when Gabriel and Randy slowly lifted me up and set me onto it. I couldn't figure out how they were able to lift me without the slightest bit of strain, but the moment was too intense for me to ask.

They wheeled me back down the hallway, and out a side door. I argued with them, saying, "We have doctors that tour with us, guys. Where are we going?"

"Don't worry, John," Randy reassured me.

He and Gabriel lifted me into the back of a van and shut the doors. I considered the situation I was in, but it wasn't clear enough for me to decide if I should try to run or not. I had known Randy for almost eleven years, and I trusted him. I hadn't known Gabriel that long, but my gut told me he could be trusted, too. So, why were they being so weird about getting me out of the arena?

Was I really that hurt? I tried to move my arms. It was difficult. I tried to wiggle my toes. I could feel them, but again, I found it very hard to move. I wanted to try and move my neck, but I didn't want to make it worse than it already was, so I stayed put. What was Randy talking about when he said he gave me blood to heal? I knew we weren't the same blood type. It didn't make sense.

"John, are you still awake?" Gabriel asked while Randy drove.

"Yeah, I'm awake," I knew the protocol of a concussion.

Randy mumbled something to Gabriel and I heard them arguing quietly for a few seconds. Then, Gabriel asked me, "Do you have memories of what happened?"

"Um...no, no, I can't say I do," I tried to recall them, but my mind drew a blank.

They argued quietly again, then Gabriel asked, "What is the last memory you have?"

It took me a few seconds to come up with it, but the memory was as clear as day, "I was doing research on my laptop...I've been having some strange dreams about vampires, lately."

Gabriel and Randy didn't respond right away, so I added quickly, "I know it's weird, but I talked to Punk about it and he's apparently into dream symbolism. I decided to look up more about it and I found these websites that talked about real vampires and how they have major emotional problems and humans with special birthmarks are like, their life partners. I laughed because the birthmark the site described was a lot like the one I have. It's lame, I know. Anyway, I didn't find anything more than what Punk told me, so whatever."

The van went awkwardly silent. I felt like I had said something totally stupid and Randy and Gabriel were debating on how they could use it to make fun of me. I was hoping that Randy hadn't picked up on the fact that _he_ was the vampire in the dreams.

Gabriel finally spoke, but his voice sounded strained as he asked, "What did Punk tell you about he symbolic meaning of your dreams?"

It felt like Gabriel was only halfway interested, but I decided to humor him as I answered, "He told me vampires in dreams signify you're getting the life sucked out of you. He brought up the point of my insane schedule, and I couldn't really argue with him."

"What did he suggest to do about the dreams?" Randy asked, sounding more legitimately curious.

I tried to recall the conversation. It seemed like it was so long ago, even though I felt like it had to be just yesterday. I explained aloud, "He said I should probably take some time off."

"Do you plan to do just that?" Gabriel asked, sounding oddly frustrated.

"You know me, I'll just get a couple hours of extra sleep one night and be fine. This is the prime of my life, I should be kicking some ass while I've still got time," I joked.

Neither Randy or Gabriel laughed.

Randy pulled into a parking lot and stopped. He and Gabriel got out and opened the back doors. They took me out and wheeled the stretcher around so I could see where we were going.

A motel. In the middle of nowhere.

"Um...guys? Is this some kind of a prank or something? Am I on Punk'd again?" I tried to joke around with them to get an easy answer.

They were apparently not in the joking mood, and Gabriel started wheeling me to one of the rooms. I was beginning to think that I was in a lot more trouble than I realized.

"What's going on, Gabe? I mean, really?" I asked him softly as he wheeled me inside and closed the door.

My view was restricted, but what I could see was that the room was cheap, and laid out in ugly shades of crimson red. I swallowed hard, thinking these kinds of rooms looked just like the ones in the movies where people get brutally murdered or wake up in the bathtub with missing kidneys.

"Justin...what's happening?" I asked him more seriously.

He came up beside me and it was nice to see a familiar face. His expression wasn't disturbing in the least, but he did seem to be overly sympathetic to my situation. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was infatuated with me.

"You were injured in the arena, John. Someone...I apologize, I meant _something_, fell against the back of your head and you were knocked out. You appear to have suffered a concussion, coupled with memory loss," Justin told me.

Something inside of me twisted into a knot. It felt like guilt, but I couldn't figure out why I would be feeling that. Gabriel looked away, and it seemed more like he was the one experiencing guilt.

"I don't understand-" I started.

Gabriel turned to face me and confessed, "I am a werewolf."

"What?" I looked at him like he had lost his mind.

I heard the door to the motel room open and close. Gabriel looked at the source and his face twitched with a mix of frustration and possibly...envy. I felt a sense rise inside of me, something I couldn't explain. I felt like someone I deeply cared about had cheated on me and I wanted to punch the lights out of the person they were cheating with.

Randy appeared on my other side and Gabriel stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I looked at Randy and remarked, "You won't believe what Gabriel just told me."

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he's saying," Randy stated boldly.

I heard a loud bang in the bathroom and wondered if Gabriel could hear us. I let out a long sigh and asked, "Would you please tell me what we're doing, here? Shouldn't I be in the hospital?"

"There was some kind of mix-up. Vince told us to wait here until he could get to you. We'll bring you to the hospital as soon as possible," Randy explained.

I knew he was just pulling shit out of his ass. It wasn't like Randy to blatantly lie to me.

"My concussion must be really bad," I mentioned.

"Why would you say that?" Randy asked curiously.

"Because I know you're lying to my face, and yet I still trust you, completely," I said.

Randy's expression softened like he knew exactly what I meant. He leaned in closely and I couldn't help feeling the same sense of attraction from him that Gabriel was displaying, earlier.

"I probably shouldn't bring this up, with it being a bad time and all, but I've had a crush on you since like, forever," I admitted.

Normally a confession like that would've never left my lips, but I felt safe saying it, now. Randy gave me a short nod like he already knew, and I finally began to realize that the world I could recall in my mind was one only I was aware of.

Randy was only inches from my face when the corners of his mouth turned up into a slight smile. I noticed his canine teeth were even longer than they usually appeared to me, and I swallowed hard as my mind recalled the truth without needing a memory to support it.

"You really are a vampire," I whispered.

Randy ran his fingers across the top of my head, making the short hair tingle from his touch as he told me thickly, "It'll take some time before it all makes sense, again."

I felt a sudden sense of desperation as I blurted, "Gabriel! I was supposed to tell Gabriel something!"

The bathroom door opened and Gabriel came rushing out to be by my side. Randy gave him a dark look and I sensed an intensity between them, like they were...fighting over me.

"What was it you were to tell me, John?" Gabriel ignored The Viper's stare and focused his attention on me.

"I...I...I can't remember. Oh, God, it was so important, I can feel it..." I struggled to recall even a glimpse of what I meant to say.

Randy used soft words to calm me, "Rest for now, John. You have all the time in the world to tell Gabriel whatever you want."

"I...dammit," I was forced to give up.

Gabriel turned away and said under his breath, "Damn Batista for what he has done."

"That's it! That's what I was going to tell you! I dreamed about Batista and Punk! Punk was telling Batista something...they were arguing..." I tried to make sense of it all.

"Punk was speaking with Batista? When did this happen?" Gabriel turned back to face me on full alert.

"It was just...I swear it was just...God, I can't remember, but it didn't seem like that long ago," I said.

Randy shook his head and told Gabriel, "I think he's confused. Batista and Punk are on the same side."

Gabriel responded as if I weren't even there, "John was telling me of a dream...no, a nightmare...of _Wade_ and Punk...he was unable to finish his sentence before Batista attacked him."

I tried to think hard, "Wade? Yes! Wade! It was _Wade_ and Punk! They were arguing about what to do with me! Punk was mad because Gabriel already fucked me and so they-"

I was suddenly struck dumb by my own words. My cheeks felt hot as I glanced at Randy and Gabriel, thinking I had said way too much. Neither of them seemed the least bit concerned, although Randy was staring kind of intensely at my reddened face.

"Perhaps they are conspiring against us?" Gabriel asked Randy.

It seemed to take some effort for Randy to look away from me. He told Gabriel with a slight frown, "It would make sense. Wade tried to kill John before you could finish the bonding process, and you said yourself that was not like him to disobey you."

I couldn't believe it. I had almost been killed by Wade Barrett and I had somehow forgotten this. I had also apparently made it with Gabriel and forgot that, too.

"What the hell is going on?" I shouted.

Both Randy and Gabriel turned to face me. Randy told me again, "It'll all make sense in time."

"That's very cryptic and repetitive of you, thanks," I rolled my eyes.

Gabriel suddenly blurted out-of-character, "John, you and I have fucked. A lot. I was rough with you, and I made bruises on you, but you were not discouraged by this at all, and asked me to push even harder. You came; I came, and you enjoyed it very much when I licked your-"

Randy was in front of Gabriel before I even realized he had moved. He gave Gabriel what looked like a quick shove, but Gabriel went flying across the room and hit the far wall, crushing it under his weight.

Randy immediately turned to face me with a worried look. It was like he thought I'd be more hurt than Gabriel, but I could hardly feel anything from the neck down. Gabriel got up easily and leaped onto the bed, pointing an angry finger at Randy as he seethed, "Why do that?! John could have felt my pain!"

"His neck hasn't healed, yet. He's not feeling much of anything right now, dimwit," Randy snorted.

"You mean, my neck really is broken?" I froze.

Randy was by my side in an instant. He told me somberly, "Everything's fine, John. Your neck will be healed in no time."

"How, how is that...?" I was feeling a massive case of information overload.

Randy turned to Gabriel and argued, "Look what you've done! He doesn't need to know the details of some crazy super-fuck he doesn't even remember, fuckwad!"

Gabriel locked his jaw and stared at Randy like he was plotting to kill him. I looked at Randy and asked, "Just to be clear, did we fuck, too?"

Randy used Gabriel's words to mock him as he told me, "John, you and I have fucked. A lot. Way more times than Mr. My-Ego's-So-Fragile-I-Have-To-Use-Elaborate-Detail s-To-Explain-My-Greatness-To-My-Amnesiac-Boyfriend over there."

Randy finished by casting Gabriel a hard glare. Although he was trying to keep things clear and simple, I was still totally confused.

"So...I'm dating both of you? At the same time? And we're all okay with this?" I asked, wondering why I had become such a player since the last time I could remember.

Randy explained before Gabriel could get a word out, "John, just rest for now. I figure your memory will come back as you heal."

"What if it doesn't?" I had to ask.

Randy frowned like he didn't want to even consider that, but I could see in his eyes that it was a possibility. He told me thickly, "If it doesn't, then you can ask me anything you want, and I'll fill you in on all the details."

"Could I ask one more question?" I smiled.

"Why not," Randy sighed with frustration.

"Should I be worried that Wade is trying to kill me?" I asked.

Gabriel looked at Randy like he shouldn't answer the question. Randy leaned into me and stated, "No, you shouldn't be worried. If Wade comes anywhere near you, I'll kick his ass."

"You know I'd do it myself, but..." I joked to make Randy laugh.

He still didn't. Damn. Tough crowd.


	15. Chapter 15

15:

_I was in the ring, fighting in some kind of a tag-team match. I didn't remember how it got started, and it seemed like it began in the middle of the action. The crowd was going wild; louder than ever, to the point where it was hard for me to focus._

_I looked to my corner. Randy was there, along with Gabriel and Punk. I had remembered that WWE Creative wrote that Punk was on the verge of turning face again, and this match must've been set up to make the crowd believe it, but Punk was standing on the steel steps and glancing around like he had very little interest in the match, which made me think he was planning to flip back to heel at any second._

_A double-cross was so rare, I had trouble believing Punk would actually do it. Barrett, Jericho and Del Rio were on the other side, and I figured Punk would decide to stay and fight, since he and Jericho were current rivals on-screen, and Punk frequently butted heads with Del Rio backstage. I was busy fighting Batista in the center of the ring, and he wasn't giving me much time to keep an eye on Punk while he tossed me around like a rag doll._

_I managed to get close to my side. Randy and Gabriel eagerly reached for me, but I was closest to Punk, so I reached to tag him in. He stared down at me like he had no idea what I was trying to do. I argued with him, "Punk?!"_

_He continued to stare at me, so I reached for Randy, but he was gone, and so was Gabriel. It was just Punk and I left on our side, and Batista was just tagging in Jericho. If Punk didn't take my tag, we were sure to lose._

"_Punk, come on!" I yelled, trying to get closer._

_He took a big step back. I stood up and reached over the top rope at him, but he just stood there, staring at me like he couldn't care less that I needed him._

"_What are you do-" I got cut off by an arm around my neck._

_Jericho dragged me all the way to his side of the ring. Punk was still standing there on our side, watching as Batista came into the ring and used a Batista Bomb to get me flat on my back, then Jericho used his Lionsault to keep me down and pick up the win._

_I knew something was wrong as soon as Batista slammed me against the mat. I couldn't tell Jericho I was hurt, and I heard a small cracking sound in my neck when Jericho landed on me. _

_I had heard the sound, before, when Batista knocked me into the mat a few years back._

_My neck was broken._

_And this time, CM Punk could've prevented it._

"Oh God, oh God, it hurts," I heard my own voice whispering faintly.

I was afraid to move, even as I felt a warm hand caress my cheek. I knew it was Randy when he pressed his lips to my ear and stated, "John. Wake up, Baby."

My eyes shot open. It was totally dark, except for the light from the room's LCD TV, which distorted what I could see. Someone moved in front of the light to look down on me, and I heard Gabriel's voice ask, "John? Are you well?"

He was mostly cast in darkness, and the light behind him made him look monstrous. I suddenly remembered a creature...a wolf...attacking me. Was it a memory? I couldn't tell, but it felt so real. The monster leaned down and bit into my right hip, and the pain was unlike anything I had ever known.

I screamed at the image in my mind, while simultaneously kicking the real-life monster with Gabriel's voice in the face. He growled and fell back against the blankets, which only made me more confused. I quickly moved to sit up as the bedside light clicked on. I didn't have time to turn and face it before Randy was in front of me on his knees. He put his hands on my face and reassured me, "You're safe, John. You were only dreaming."

_Dreaming. _Something seemed significant about that, but I wasn't sure why. I looked at the figure on the edge of the bed, and realized too late that it was simply Gabriel. He sat up and clutched his lip, which had been bloodied by my kick. Randy glanced at Gabriel and then back at me as he asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"

"Me? No," I shook my head, confused that he wasn't asking Gabriel that question.

Gabriel explained aloud, "If others hurt me, John will feel it, but if John chooses to hurt me, he will not feel the force of his wrath."

Randy blinked with surprise. A fragment of a memory flashed in my head just as Randy turned to face me, again. I relayed exactly what I saw, "That's why you didn't hurt Gabriel when you found out he bit me. You poured oil on him out of frustration, but you didn't hurt him."

"You remembered," Randy smiled just enough to show the tips of his fangs.

"Only fragments, at this point. Maybe it'll all become clear, soon," I remarked.

I felt a twinge of sadness in my gut, and I looked at Gabriel. Although it wasn't clear why in my memory, yet, I knew that the feeling had come from him. He lay down on his side facing away from me, and I felt a strong need to curl up next to him.

I looked back at Randy. He was staring at me like he wanted to fuck me right then and there. I suddenly remembered what had happened before I fell asleep, and I mentioned, "My neck is healed."

"Yeah. Is it stiff or anything?" Randy searched my neck with his eyes, as if he could perceive from the outside if there was an issue.

"It feels good," A sense of arousal rose inside of me as I said the words out loud.

Gabriel grunted and shifted uncomfortably, and I realized he had picked up on my arousal. All the confusion of being pulled to two men at once was too much for me, and I blurted loudly, "I've got to go to the bathroom!"

I practically ran out of bed and slammed the bathroom door. I stared at myself in the mirror for a while, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Then, I remembered the image of a creature biting me, and I decided to check my right hip and see for sure if that image was taken from memory.

I took all of my clothes off and stared at my thigh in the mirror. It was very hard to see, but there was a kind of white outline of a large bite mark that surrounded a smaller one. The larger one took a few teeth to make, while the smaller one resembled a snake bite and only appeared to be done by two teeth.

An image of Randy biting into my hip came into my mind, and I remembered that I had asked him to bite me.

"He's the smaller one," I whispered to myself, my insides growing warm as I thought about it.

I knew the bigger one was Gabriel's, but the image in my mind was that of a monster biting me. He had said he was a werewolf, and I assumed he had changed when he chose to take a chunk out of my leg. Anger rose within me when I thought of this, followed by nausea as I remembered sitting in a chair in an unfamiliar house, waiting for Randy to come and get me.

"I didn't want this one," I remembered, sitting forward over the sink.

I turned the water on and splashed some on my face. I was sure I would throw up, but I didn't, and my stomach grumbled to let me know why. I couldn't remember the last time I ate, and all this trouble conjuring up memories had made me lose energy faster than usual.

"You all right?" I heard Randy say from beside me.

I looked up and saw him standing there, but I hadn't heard him open the door or come inside. I straightened up and caught him giving my naked body a once-over before he came back to search my eyes, again. My face was still wet, so I grabbed a hand towel beside the sink and wiped my face off before answering, "I think I'm fine."

Randy looked down again and frowned. I was holding the hand towel over my crotch area without even realizing it, making it appear like I was uncomfortable with Randy seeing me naked. He turned to walk out, saying over his shoulder, "Let me know if you need anything."

He closed the door and I was left feeling like a total dick. Both Randy and Gabriel had already told me that we'd had sex, yet my lack of memory was making it hard for me to know how to handle that, let alone the fact that I was attracted to both men at the same time.

Being torn like this was overwhelming. So, I decided to simplify things.

I picked up my clothes and balled them up under my arm. I walked out of the bathroom fully exposed in all my glory and asked, "Is my gym bag somewhere around here?"

Randy was sitting on the bed, leaning back against the headboard while scanning channels with the remote. Gabriel was still at the edge of the bed, and both perked up as soon as I came out, rising to high alert when they realized I was completely naked.

"It's over there," Randy pointed to the far wall.

I saw my bag on the table and started walking over to it. I stopped right in front of the TV and turned to face the screen so both guys could get a good look at the junk in my trunk. The show they were watching appeared to be something about the Amazon, but I asked anyway, "What're you watching?"

"A show about anacondas," Randy said thickly, and I knew I was getting to him.

I turned to face them and said, "I would love to watch the movie Anaconda. I love that part when the snake spits up that guy at Jennifer Lopez and his dead body winks!"

Randy immediately stated, "Gabriel, go on to the store down the street and see if they have Anaconda."

Gabriel turned to one side and glared at him as he argued, "Why don't you go look?"

I added quickly, "Speaking of a store run, I'm really hungry and it'd be great if one of you could pick something up for me."

"Gabriel," Randy stated, again.

"Fuck you! You go, you are the faster of us both, vampire!" Gabriel shot back.

Randy got up and said pointedly, "Well both go."

Gabriel got up as well, and Randy gripped his shoulder tightly to make sure they left, together. I waved them good-bye and Randy said before closing the door, "Don't change your clothes. Stay right there until we get back."

"Right," I grinned.

* * *

Having them both gone gave me some time to take a quick shower. I dried off and wrapped the towel around my waist to stay modest until they came back. Within minutes, Randy and Gabriel were rushing through the door and back into bed. Randy laid out the food and inspected it, tossing whatever he didn't like at Gabriel's head while Justin worked the DVD player. I looked over Gabriel's shoulder and noticed the bag on his arm had several DVDs, all of them of various titles with the word Anaconda in it. I asked with confusion, "Why did you get so many versions?"

"I have not seen Anaconda. I was not sure which one was correct," he informed me while he worked the DVD remote.

"Randy's seen the right one. He could've told you," I pointed out.

Gabriel had already started the movie as he seethed under his breath, "He was no help to me."

I frowned at Randy, but he acted like he didn't even hear us as he unwrapped a sandwich for me. He looked down at his t-shirt and noticed a small tear in it as he grumbled, "Gabriel, you cut my shirt open."

"I would not have had to if you had not tried to shove me aside in the checkout line," Gabriel countered darkly.

Randy quickly pulled off his t-shirt and rolled it up into a ball, then he threw it violently at Gabriel's head. It actually threw Gabriel forward a little bit, and even I felt the dull pain of the hit as Gabriel growled with frustration and removed his own shirt, trying to ball it up and toss it with the same force back at Randy.

Randy grabbed the shirt in mid-air and scoffed like it was too easy. Gabriel glared at him so acidly, I sighed and mentioned, "I'm sorry, this was a stupid idea."

Both Randy and Gabriel turned all their focus to me. I shrugged and went back to my bag on the table to grab a fresh pair of clothes, saying mostly to myself, "I must've forgotten that you two hated each other so much. I know I'm attracted to both of you, though, so I thought I'd make it easy and put on a fun night where the three of us can just be together."

There was a moment of silence where nobody argued, and I reached into my bag for some clothes. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and Randy said thickly from behind me, "Don't be mad. We'll play nice."

He tugged on the side of the towel I had tied, so when I turned around to face him, the towel dropped to the floor and I was exposed, again. I crawled back into bed and lay down on my stomach so I could munch on food while watching the movie. Randy lay down beside me and massaged my lower back, while Gabriel took my other side and I shared my food with him while he nuzzled me from time to time.

About halfway through the movie, I rolled over on my back and experimented with kissing both men. I kept it short at first, just in case the one in-wait tried to fight off the other for my attention. Randy and Gabriel stayed civil, though, probably just for my benefit.

Randy moved down to kiss my chest and abs, while Gabriel stayed with my lips. Where Randy was smooth and casual, Gabriel was a little more gruff and deliberate, and the two balanced each other out for the perfect sense of touch.

I felt Randy slowly turning me over on my stomach. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but I was preoccupied with Gabriel, so I let it be. Randy began kissing around my lower back and along my backside, then I felt his lips circle my back passage as he began softly suckling it.

I had never felt this kind of stimulation, before. It was so good, I was having trouble keeping up with Gabriel's lips, and I had to let go of him as I groaned, "Sorry."

He made a frustrated sigh, but stayed beside me and watched my expressions with curious interest. Randy brought his arms underneath my hips and lifted me up at a slight angle, just enough so he could graze his tongue along my rim.

Gabriel took advantage of the angle and rolled over on his back so he could slide underneath me and catch my erection in his mouth. While Randy massaged the middle and back with his tongue, Gabriel provided strong suction in front, and I felt the rhythm of constant, strong stimulation.

I was so close to climax, I didn't even hear the knock at the door. Randy stopped what he was doing and said quietly, "Gabriel, it's for you."

Justin let go of me and slid out so Randy could lower me back onto the bed. I looked back at him and asked, "What's going on?"

Randy put his finger to his lips to silence me and I knew that something was definitely up. Gabriel got out of bed and went to the door, opening it only a crack as he asked, "What is it?"

I heard a woman's voice on the other side. It sounded like Maryse. She didn't say much before Gabriel nodded his head and closed the door, again.

"Have they come to a decision?" Randy asked, like he knew exactly what was going on.

Gabriel nodded morosely, and I knew I would regret it when I asked, "Did something happen?"

Without blinking, Gabriel locked eyes with me and stated, "Batista attacked you the other night. He was the one who broke your neck and hit you hard enough to cause your amnesia. He planned on killing you, so I killed him."

The memory of feeling something hit the back of my head flooded my mind, as well as Gabriel yelling, "Batista!"

"What happens now?" I whispered, although I felt I already knew the answer.


	16. Chapter 16

16:

_I could see Gabriel walking ahead of me. We were going toward something, but it was dark around us and we were in some kind of a tunnel. I was sure that Gabriel was going to disappear if I didn't keep up with him, but no matter how hard I tried to stay just behind him, I just knew inside that I wouldn't be able to stay with him for much longer._

"_It is all right, John. You will have all of my abilities when I am gone," Gabriel whispered over his shoulder._

"_You don't have to leave. I could talk to Randy and get him to figure out a compromise with Punk. They can't banish you for protecting me. It's not fair," I argued._

_Gabriel stopped and turned to face me. He gave me a warm smile and said, "You surprise me, John. I was not aware you cared for me this much."_

_I felt like we didn't have much time, left. I put my arms around him and nuzzled his lower jaw to show affection. Gabriel let out a deep groan of pleasure and I pulled away to look up at him as I replied, "I guess I just needed to forget everything to know how much you mean to me."_

_He was already starting to back up into the darkness as Gabriel told me somberly, "You are meant for Randy, and he for you. There is still happiness to be found, John."_

"_But what if I was meant to have the best of both worlds?" I asked._

_Gabriel didn't answer me. He was already gone._

I opened my eyes and sat up in the backseat of Randy's truck. We were driving to a location just outside of the next arena, where the vampires and werewolves would be waiting for us. Gabriel was asleep in the passenger's seat, his breathing heavy and erratic like it always was.

"Did you have a good dream this time?" Randy glanced at me in the rear-view mirror.

I felt a sense of deep sadness inside as I nodded and replied, "I still don't understand why we have to do this."

"It's the way things work between our clans, John. The vampires have to make this formal declaration that Gabriel is being banished for killing Batista so that other vampires won't come around seeking vengeance because they think he got away with something," Randy explained.

I stared out the window as I argued, "I still think it's stupid. Management thinks Gabriel has an injury, and when the time comes, he'll just say he wants to move on and that's it."

Randy nodded, but tried to lift my spirits, "I can still take you to see him anytime you want. He doesn't have to leave the country or anything."

"I'll probably just be putting him in harm's way," I grumbled.

Randy glanced into the rear-view mirror again and stated, "I don't think he'll mind."

I looked at Gabriel. He was still sleeping soundly, so I took the opportunity to ask Randy, "Are you mad that I think about him like I think about you?"

"I already told you," he started, then he remembered my amnesia.

"...I can feel what you feel, John. I know we both mean a lot to you, and I don't want to make you choose if it means I have a chance of losing you," Randy surmised.

"Do you ever think about turning me so you'd have a better chance of keeping me?" I asked curiously.

There was a long pause before Randy replied thickly, "All the time."

* * *

We pulled into the parking lot of the location. It looked like it used to be a bowling alley but it had since been sacrificed to the elements. I got out on Randy's side and went around to tell Gabriel before we went inside, "I'm sorry I got you into all this trouble."

"For the very last time, John, it is not your fault," he shook his head at me.

He tried to fill my insides up with a sense of security, but I was still punishing myself with my thoughts. Gabriel leaned in and placed a tender kiss on my lips. It was literally painful to me when he pulled away and made his way inside.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I told Randy.

For a split second, I swore Randy's expression changed like he was agreeing with me, but it was like stone again before I could be sure of what I saw. He put his hand on my lower back and led me through the entrance of the bowling alley, never saying a word as we passed through a hallway that looked much like the darkened tunnel in my dream. Gabriel was a few steps ahead of us, also like in my dream. We finally reached the end of the hall, and walked into a large, white room that glowed neon blue from LED lights strapped to the crown molding. Punk, Barrett, DiBiase, Rhodes and HHH were on one side of the room representing the vampires, while Maryse, Slater, Tyson Kidd, Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan were on the other side representing the werewolves.

They were all shrouded in the blue light. It made the faces of the vampires eerily shallow. I noticed that Barrett was standing by Punk, even though I knew he was a werewolf. I remembered my dream about Barrett talking to Punk and betraying Gabriel, and I realized the dream may have actually been a very real circumstance.

Gabriel went to stand between the two groups. He faced the vampires, but stood proud as his pack stared at him admirably. Randy let go of me and stood near Punk, and suddenly, all eyes were on me.

I blinked with surprise as I realized I was being wordlessly asked to choose a side.

"Johnny, why don't you come over here and stand by me, huh?" Punk grinned wickedly, revealing his long fangs.

"You cannot influence his decision!" Gabriel countered furiously.

Punk gave him a sideways glance like he was only mildly disturbed by Gabriel's outburst, then he returned his attention to me. I suddenly felt like the weight of the whole situation was being put squarely on my shoulders. If I chose wrong, Gabriel would face the consequences.

I wanted to look at Randy, but I knew Punk would use that to create even more tension in the already thick room. I glanced to my right and saw a chair by the far wall. It was between the groups and parallel to where Gabriel was standing, so I went for it and quickly sat down. Maryse rolled her eyes and Rhodes scoffed at me from their respective sides, then Punk let out a loud sigh of displeasure and remarked, "Well, leave it up to Cena to take all the fun out of it."

DiBiase and Rhodes snickered like Punk had just made reference to some inside joke. The attention went back to Gabriel, but his focus was only on Barrett.

"You said you would not be here, Traitor of Filth," Gabriel sneered at Wade.

Barrett winced and put his head down like he had been verbally stabbed in the gut. Punk let out a disturbingly loud chuckle and argued, "He's not that filthy, actually. I was able to clean him up several times over last night."

All of the vampires except Randy laughed out loud. It didn't take much for me to know exactly what they were talking about. I stood up and countered, "Is that what happens when you betray your side for vampires? You get what they see as the "filth" of who you are fucked out of you?"

Once more, I felt all eyes watching me. Even Barrett was staring at me like he couldn't believe I was standing up for him when he didn't deserve it. The vampires had fallen silent except for Punk, who couldn't seem to help himself, "You're a very perceptive human, Cena. I can see now why Randy took a chance on you."

He glanced at Randy along with me. His eyes were pinned to the floor, but they slowly moved up to meet mine. There was a horrible sadness in them, like Randy wanted nothing more than to stand beside me, but he was being compelled not to.

It became clear to me at that moment that Randy didn't take us here simply so Gabriel could be given a verbal banishment. His eyes told me exactly what was about to happen.

Punk was going to do something terrible to Gabriel, and Randy had chosen not to care because it meant he would have me all to himself.

I looked at Gabriel and opened my mouth to warn him, but it was too late. Punk was in front of him in the blink of an eye. Gabriel bore his teeth and prepared to attack, but Punk spewed a strange substance from his mouth that showered Gabriel's body, and he began screaming as the room filled with the smell of his burning flesh.

Everything slowed down. My mind was flooded with images of the past, including a memory that Gabriel had been sprayed in the eyes with a substance that Punk had created, and it had nearly blinded him for a couple of days, but had somehow rendered me unable to feel Gabriel's pain. I believed this was the same substance, and it was powerful enough that the other werewolves could only stand by and watch as their Alpha melted in front of them.

The vampires were laughing. Barrett dropped to his knees and sobbed. Randy turned away and closed his eyes. I watched as Gabriel went from screaming to roaring, shifting between his human self and his gray wolf self. The memories of the recent past continued to flood my mind, and in a matter of seconds, I remembered everything.

And I wasn't about to let Gabriel die, alone.

"JUSTIN!" I yelled, making a run for him.

Randy started for me to stop me from touching Gabriel, but Punk ordered Randy, "Stay where you are!"

He was forced to obey. Randy stopped just short of me, and I gave him a cold stare as I told him, "I'll never forgive you for this."

Randy blinked with surprise and it gave me enough time to get to Gabriel. Most of his skin was gone and I could see patches of fur on his lower body. His eyes were bright yellow and bloodshot, but he could still see me as I dropped to my knees and lifted his head with my hands.

I braced myself, thinking my skin would be on fire as soon as I touched the substance surrounding Gabriel's body, but I felt no pain at all.

"Why isn't Johnny getting injured right now?" Punk angrily hissed.

I ignored him and kept my eyes on Gabriel's. I knew he would be dead in seconds, so I listened intently as he breathed his last words to me, "Rebirth."

It didn't make sense to me, but he took my hand and dug his clawed fingernails into my skin, and suddenly, it was as clear as a cloudless sky.

When Gabriel bit me, he gave me his mind and emotions. When he fucked me, he gave me his strength, status and abilities. When he gave his life for me, he gave me the keys to his kingdom. He had been trying to tell me all along, but I wasn't ready to hear it until now.

I wasn't human, anymore. I am a werewolf.

Gabriel's bones crumbled in my arms. Slater was holding Maryse back as she cried out in agony. The werewolves all took a big step back and bowed their heads as I slowly stood up and turned to face Punk with a look of vengeance.

He smiled back at me like I was no threat to him. His smile faded and his eyes widened in horror as he watched me shift into a white wolf before his eyes.

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Randy's POV**

I packed my bags to head to the next arena. The motel I had just slept in was hot and muggy. The scent of rotten floorboards and the ugly sounds of a prostitute fucking a drug addict four rooms down inflamed my hypersensitive senses. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Then, I felt _him_.

Everything else faded away as I went to the door and opened it. He was standing there with only a pair of jeans on, teasing me with his perfectly chiseled pecs and abs like marble. The rim of his jeans dipped so low, I could see the blond hairs of his happy trail.

He was a different man, now. I could see it in his paradise-blue eyes. He no longer carried his trademark smirk. He no longer wore bright colored clothes to entice the fans. He wasn't even wearing his dog tags, which were a symbol of his connection to his family; his humanity.

"I wanted to give this back to you," he handed me the antique wolfsbane necklace I had given him to ward off Gabriel months earlier.

I reluctantly took it. He didn't act like the wolfsbane bothered him, although I was sure it did because of what he was, now. He was too strong to let an herbal werewolf repellant affect him the way it did his kind. He was John Cena. Nothing affected him the way it did everyone else.

He turned to leave, but I begged him, "Stay a while. Please."

I was surprised when he turned back to face me. I pushed open the door and he walked into the room, turning his head slightly to one side as his senses analyzed the place. He forced a deep breath as he recognized the mugginess, then he clicked his tongue with discontent, and I knew he had caught on to the couple fucking a few rooms down.

"I bet we could beat out their sounds if we went at it," I joked dryly.

John didn't laugh. He just looked at me with somber eyes and remarked, "Hell yeah, we could."

His baby blues told me some part of him still wanted me. I doubted he would stay long, so I spilled my guts while I still could, "I want you to know that I still love you, John. What I did to Gabriel was wrong. It doesn't matter that Punk forced me to comply as punishment for defying the vampires to protect you. I know you don't ever want to forgive me, but I am truly sorry for what happened, and I'll love you all the same, whether you love me back or not."

He didn't say anything. I couldn't bear the silence. I stepped closer to him, and he took a step back. The sense of rejection coming from him threatened to break me, so I took another step towards him. We continued this dance until John was backed up against the wall and I was inches from his lips.

I wanted to kiss him so badly, the passion made my insides burn. He wasn't fully human, anymore, so I wouldn't have to hold myself back. I could fuck him as long and as hard as I wanted to, and he could take every moment of it with the kind of ecstasy that only a vampire provided.

"I can hear your thoughts when you're this close to me, you know," John whispered thickly.

"Yeah, I know," I licked my lips wet with blood and lust.

He slipped from my grasp before I could make a move. John backed up to the door and opened it to take his leave.

"Stay a little longer. I'll behave, I promise," I told him, desperate to feel his companionship, again.

He stepped out onto the balcony and leaped up on the railing so he could drop down two stories to the pavement below without having to take the stairs. I stood in the door frame and used my stone colored eyes to compel him to come back to me, but I knew it was no use. When he became Alpha, he inherited Gabriel's abilities and amplified his own. Being the first Alpha originally intended to be bonded to a vampire, none of us had any clue that this would make John immune to our abilities, thus making him the most powerful werewolf the vampires had ever known.

John's eyes wandered over my naked body for several long seconds before he replied quietly, "I know if I stay, I can't promise that."

He put his arms out and let himself fall back against the open air. I sensed him land on his feet on the ground below, then he took off into the night with the full moon as his guide.

I wished I had time to thank him for killing Wade Barrett and severing the hold Punk had over the werewolves. It was right that they were free to be their own group, and what better man than John to lead them?

Yet, I couldn't help thinking that Punk was right about what he said during the aftermath, when vampires all over the world began threatening vengeance on John, "He made the werewolves relevant, again. That means we're all targets. Every damn one of us."

If I were a target, I wanted John to be the one to kill me. I had the feeling he wouldn't, though.

The worst part is, I don't know if he'd spare me because he still loves me, or because he wants me to suffer. I'm insatiably in love with my sworn enemy. That doesn't exactly make me the most likeable among my fellow vampires. To put it most plainly, I've burned myself alive, and there's nothing left but ashes scattered across all of my known worlds. I am alone.

Except when I'm with John. He is all that reminds me of what it is to feel alive.


End file.
